tihvavy  of  ^he  theological  ^tminavy 

PRINCETON  .  NEW  JERSEY 

FROM  THE  LIBRARY  OF 
ROBERT  ELLIOTT  SPEER 


BV  210  .B76  1920 

Bounds,  Edward  M.  1835-1913, 

Purpose  in  prayer 


PURPOSE    IN    PRAYER 


EDWARD  M.  BOUNDS 


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ICAL 


PURPOSE  IN  PRAY 


BV 


E.    M.    BOUNDS 

Author  of  "Power  through  Prayer." 


New  York  Chicago  Toronto 

Fleming    H.    Revell    Company 

AND  Edinburgh 


r.  o  x  r>  o  N 


Copyright,  1920.  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COiMPANY 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  17  North  Wabash  Ave. 
London :  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh       75    Princes    Street 


LNTRODUCTION 

Edward  McKendree  Bounds  was  born  in  Shelby 
County,  Mo.,  August  15,  1835,  and  died  August  24. 
1Q13,  in  Washington,  Ga.  He  received  a  common 
school  education  at  Shelbyville  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  soon  after  his  majority.  He  practiced 
law  until  called  to  preach  the  Gospel  at  the  age  of 
twenty-four.  His  first  pastorate  was  Monticcllo, 
Mo.,  Circuit.  It  was  while  serving  as  pastor  of 
Brunswick,  Mo.,  that  war  was  declared  and  the 
young  minister  was  made  a  prisoner  of  war  be- 
cause he  would  not  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to 
the  Federal  Government.  He  was  sent  to  .'^t.  Louis 
and  later  transferred  to  Memphis,  Tenn. 

Finally  securing  his  release,  he  traveled  on  foot 
nearly  one  hundred  miles  to  join  General  Pierce's 
command  in  Mississippi  and  was  soon  after  made 
chaplain  of  the  Fifth  Missouri  Regiment,  a  posi- 
tion he  held  until  near  the  close  of  the  war,  when 
he  was  captured  and  held  as  prisoner  at  Nashville, 
Tenn. 

After  the  war  Rev.  E.  M.  Bounds  was  pastor  of 
churches  in  Tennessee  and  Alabama.  In  1875  he 
was  assigned  to  St.  Paul  Methodist  Church  in  St. 
Louis,  and  served  there  for  four  years.  In  187() 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Emmie  Barnette  iit  Lii- 
faula,  Ala.,  who  died  ten  years  later.     In    1S87  he 


was  married  to   Miss  Hattie   Barnette,  who,   with 
five  children,  survives  him. 

After  serving  several  pastorates  he  was  sent  to 
the  First  Methodist  Church  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  for 
one  year  and  to  St.  Paul  Methodist  Church  for 
three  years.  At  the  end  of  his  pastorate,  he  be- 
came the  editor  of  the  St.  Louis  "Christian  Advo- 
cate." 

He  was  a  forceful  writer  and  a  very  deep  thinker. 
He  spent  the  last  seventeen  years  of  his  life  with 
his  family  in  Washington,  Ga.  Most  of  the  time 
he  was  reading,  writing  and  praying.  He  rose  at 
4  a.  m.  each  day  for  many  years  and  was  inde- 
fatigable in  his  study  of  the  Bible.  His  writings 
were  read  by  thousands  of  people  and  were  in  de- 
mand by  the  church  people  of  every  Protestant 
denomination. 

Bounds  was  the  embodiment  of  humility,  with  a 
seraphic  devotion  to  Jesus  Christ.  He  reached  that 
high  place  where  self  is  forgotten  and  the  love  of 
God  and  humanity  was  the  all-absorbing  thought 
and  purpose.  At  seventy-six  years  of  age  he  came 
to  me  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and  so  intense  was  he 
that  he  awoke  us  at  3  o'clock  in  the  morning  pray- 
ing and  weeping  over  the  lost  of  earth.  All  during 
the  day  he  would  go  into  the  church  next  door  and 
be  found  on  his  knees  until  called  for  his  meals. 
This  is  what  he  called  the  "Business  of  Praying." 
Infused  with  this  heavenly  ozone,  he  wrote 
"Preacher  and  Prayer,"  a  classic  in  its  line,  and 
now  gone  into  several  foreign  languages,  read  by 
men  and  women  all  over  the  world.  In  1909, 
while    Rev.    A.    C.    Dixon    was    preaching    in    Dr. 


Broughton's  Tabernacle,  Atlanta,  Ga.,  I  sent  him 
a  copy  of  "Preacher  and  Prayer,"  by  Bounds. 
Hear  what  he  says: 

"This  little  book  was  given  me  by  a  friend.  I 
received  another  copy  at  Christmas  from  another 
friend.  'Well/  thought  I,  'there  must  be  some- 
thing worth  while  in  the  little  book  or  two  of  my 
friends  would  not  have  selected  the  same  present 
for  me.*  So  I  read  the  first  page  until  I  came  to 
the  words:  'Man  is  looking  for  better  methods, 
God  is  looking  for  better  men.  Man  is  God's 
method.*  That  was  enough  for  me  and  my  appe- 
tite demanded  more  until  the  book  was  finished 
with  pleasure." 

This  present  volume  is  a  companion  work,  and 
reflects  the  true  spirit  of  a  man  whose  business  it 
was  to  live  the  gospel  that  he  preached.  He  was 
not  a  luminary  but  a  SUN  and  takes  his  place  with 
Brainerd  and  Bramwell  as  untiring  intercessors 
with  God. 

H.  W.  HODGE., 


My  Creed  leads  me  to  think  that  prayer  is  efficacious,  and 
surely  a  day's  asking  God  to  overrule  all  events  for  good  is 
not  lost.  Still  there  is  a  great  feeling  that  when  a  man  is 
praying  he  is  doing  nothing,  and  this  feeling  makes  us  give 
ioidue  importance  to  work,  sometimes  even  to  the  hurrying 
over  or  even  to  the  neglect  of  prayer. 

Do  not  we  rest  in  our  day  too  much  on  the  arm  of  flesh  ? 
Cannot  the  same  wonders  be  done  now  as  of  old  ?  Do  not  the 
eyes  of  the  Lord  run  to  and  fro  throughout  the  whole  earth  still 
to  show  Himself  strong  on  behalf  of  those  who  put  their  trust 
in  Him  .^  Oh  that  God  would  give  me  more  practical  faith 
in  Him  /  Where  is  now  the  Lord  God  of  Elijah  ?  He  is 
waiting  for  Elijah  to  call  on  Him. 

— James  Gilmour  of  Mongolia. 


I 

The  more  praying  there  is  in  the  world  the  better  the 
world  will  be,  the  mightier  the  forces  against  evil 
everywhere.  Prayer,  in  one  phase  of  its  operation, 
is  a  disinfectant  and  a  preventive.  It  purifies  the 
air ;  it  destroys  the  contagion  of  evil.  Prayer  is 
no  fitful,  shortHved  thing.  It  is  no  voice  crying 
unheard  and  unheeded  in  the  silence.  It  is  a  voice 
which  goes  into  God's  ear,  and  it  lives  as  long  as 
God's  ear  is  open  to  holy  pl^as,  as  long  as  God's 
heart  is  alive  to  holy  things. 

God  shapes  the  world  by  prayer.  Prayers  are 
deathless.  The  lips  that  uttered  them  may  be 
closed  in  death,  the  heart  that  felt  them  may  have 
ceased  to  beat,  but  the  prayers  live  before  God,  and 
God's  heart  is  set  on  them  and  prayers  outlive  the 
lives  of  those  who  uttered  them  ;  outlive  a  genera- 
tion, outhve  an  age,  outlive  a  world. 

That  man  is  the  most  immortal  who  has  done  the 
most  and  the  best  praying.  They  are  God's  heroes, 
God's  saints,  God's  servants,  God's  vicegerents. 
A  man  can  pray  better  because  of  the  prayers  of 
the  past ;  a  man  can  live  holier  because  of  the 
prayers  of  the  past,  the  man  of  many  and  acceptable 
prayers  has  done  the  truest  and  greatest  service  to 

9 


10  Purpose  in  Prayer 

the  incoming  generation.  The  prayers  of  God's 
saints  strengthen  the  unborn  generation  against  the 
desolating  waves  of  sin  and  evil.  Woe  to  the 
generation  of  sons  who  find  their  censers  empty  of 
the  rich  incense  of  prayer ;  whose  fathers  have 
been  too  busy  or  too  unbelieving  to  pray,  and  perils 
inexpressible  and  consequences  untold  are  their 
unhappy  heritage.  Fortunate  are  they  whose 
fathers  and  mothers  have  left  them  a  wealthy 
patrimony  of  prayer. 

The  prayers  of  God's  saints  are  the  capital  stock 
in  heaven  by  which  Christ  carries  on  His  great 
work  upon  earth.  The  great  throes  and  mighty 
convulsions  on  earth  are  the  results  of  these  prayers. 
Earth  is  changed,  revolutionised,  angels  move  on 
more  powerful,  more  rapid  wing,  and  God's  policy 
is  shaped  as  the  prayers  are  more  numerous,  more 
efficient. 

It  is  true  that  the  mightiest  successes  that  come  to 
God's  cause  are  created  and  carried  on  by  prayer. 
God's  day  of  power  ;  the  angelic  days  of  activity  and 
power  are  when  God's  Church  pomes  into  its  mightiest 
inheritance  of  mightiest  faith  and  mightiest  prayer. 
God's  conquering  days  are  when  the  saints  have 
given  themselves  to  mightiest  prayer.  When  God's 
house  on  earth  is  a  house  of  prayer,  then  God's 
house  in  heaven  is  busy  and  all  potent  in  its  plans 
and  movements,  then  His  earthly  armies  are  clothed 
with  the  triumphs  and  spoils  of  victory  and  His 
enemies  defeated  on  every  hand. 


Purpose  in  Prayer  ri 

God  conditions  the  very  life  and  prosperity  of 
His  cause  on  prayer.  The  condition  was  put  in  the 
very  existence  of  God's  cause  in  this  world.  Ask_ 
of  Me  is  the  one  condition  God  puts  in  the  very 
advance  and  triumph  of  His  cause. 

Men  are  to^ray:— to  pray  for  the  advance  of  God's 
cause.  Prayer  puts  God  in  full  force  in  the  world. 
To  a  prayerful  man  God  is  present  in  realised  force  ; 
to  a  pra3^erful  Church  God  is  present  in  glorious 
power,  and  the  Second  Psalm  is  the  Divine  descrip- 
tion of  the  establishment  of  God's  cause  through 
Jesus  Christ.  All  inferior  dispensations  have  merged 
in  the  enthronement  of  Jesus  Christ.  God  declares 
the  enthronement  of  His  Son.  The  nations  are 
incensed  with  bitter  hatred  against  His  cause.  God 
is  described  as  laughing  at  their  enfeebled  hate. 
The  Lord  will  laugh ;  The  Lord  will  have  them  in 
derision.  "  Yet  have  I  set  My  King  upon  My 
holy  hill  of  Zion."  The  decree  has  passed 
immutable  and  eternal : 

I  will  tell  of  the  decree  : 

The  Lord  said  unto  Me,  Thou-  art  IVIs^  Son  ; 

This  day  have  I  begotten  Thee. 

Ask  of  Me,  and  I  will  give  Thee  the  nations  for 

Thine  inheritance, 
And  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  Th)' 

possession. 
Thou  shalt  break  them  with  a  rod  of  iron  ; 
Thou  shalt  dash  them  in  pieces  like  a  potter's 

vessel. 

Ask  of  Me  is  the  condition — a  praying  people 
willing   and  obedient.     "And   men   shall  pray    for 


12  Purpose  in  Prayer 

Him  continually."  Under  this  universal  and  simple 
promise  men  and  women  of  old  laid  themselves 
out  for  God.  They  prayed  and  God  answered  their 
prayers,  and  the  cause  of  God  was  kept  alive  in  the 
world  by  the  flame  of  their  praying. 

Prayer  became  a  settled  and  only  condition  to 
move  His  Son's  Kingdom.  "  Ask,  and  ye  shall 
receive  ;  seek,  and  ye  shall  find ;  knock,  and  it 
shall  be  opened."  The  strongest  one  in  Christ's 
kingdom  is  he  who  is  the  best  knocker.  The  secret  of 
success  in  Christ's  Kingdom  is  the  ability  to  pray. 
The  one  who  can  wield  the  power  of  prayer  is  the 
strong  one,  the  holy  one  in  Christ's  Kingdom. 
The  most  important  lesson  we  can  learn  is  how  to 
pray. 

Prayer  is  the  keynote  of  the  most  sanctified  life, 
of  the  holiest  ministry.  He  does  the  most  for  God 
who  is  the  highest  skilled  in  prayer.  Jesus  Christ 
exercised  His  ministry  after  this  order. 


Thai  we  ought  to  give  ourselves  to  God  with  regard  to  things 
both  temporal  and  spiritual,  and  seek  our  satisfaction  oyily 
in  the  fulfilling  His  will,  whether  He  lead  us  by  suffering, 
or  by  consolation,  for  all  would  be  equal  to  a  soul  truly  resigned. 
Prayer  is  nothing  else  but  a  sense  of  God's  presence. 

— Brother   Lawrence. 

Be  sure  you  look  to  your  secret  duty  ;  keep  that  up  what- 
ever you  do.  The  soul  cannot  prosper  in  the  neglect  of  it. 
Apostasy  generally  begins  at  the  closet  door.  Be  much  in 
secret  fellowship  with  God.  It  is  secret  trading  that  enriches 
the  Christian. 

Pray  alone.  Let  prayer  be  the  key  of  the  morning  and  the 
bolt  at  night.  The  best  way  to  fight  against  sin  is  to  fight  it 
on  our  knees. — Philip  Henry. 

The  prayer  of  faith  is  the  only  power  in  the  universe  to 
which  the  Great  Jehovah  yields.  Prayer  is  the  sovereign 
remedy. — Robert  Hall. 

Ayi  hour  of  solitude  passed  in  sincere  and  earnest  prayer, 
or  the  conflict  with  and  conquest  over  a  single  passion  or 
subtle  bosom  sin  will  teach  us  more  of  thought,  will  more 
effectually  awaken  the  faculty  and  form  the  habit  of  reflection 
than  a  year's  study  in  the  schools  without  them. — Coleridge. 

A  man  may  pray  night  and  day  and  deceive  himself,  but  no 
man  can  be  assured  of  his  sincerity  who  does  not  pray.  Prayer 
is  faith  passing  into  act.  A  union  of  the  will  and  intellect 
realising  in  an  intellectual  act.  It  is  the  whole  man  that 
prays.  Less  than  this  is  wishing  or  lip  work,  a  sham  or  a 
mummery. 

If  God  should  restore  me  <igain  to  health  I  have  determined 
to  study  nothing  but  the  Bible.  Literature  is  inimical  to 
spirituality  if  it  be  not  kept  under  with  a  firm  hand. 

— Richard   Cecil. 


Our  sanctification  does  not  depend  upon  changing  our 
works,  hut  in  doing  that  for  God's  sake  which  we  commonly 
do  for  our  own.  The  time  of  business  does  not  with  me  differ 
from  the  time  of  prayer.  Prayer  is  nothing  else  hut  a  sense 
of  the  presence  of  God. — Brother  Lawrence. 

Let  me  burn  out  for  God.  After  all,  whatever  God  may 
appoint,  prayer  is  the  great  thing.  Oh  that  I  may  be  a  man 
of  prayer. — Henry  Martyn. 


II 

The  possibilities  and  necessity  of  prayer,  its  power 
and  results  are  manifested  in  arresting  and  changing 
the  purposes  of  God  and  in  relieving  the  stroke  of 
His  power.     Abimelech  was  smitten  by  God  : 

So  Abraham  pra^'ed  unto  God  :  and  God  healed 
Abimelech,  and  his  wife,  and  his  maidservants  ;  and 
they  bare  children. 

For  the  Lord  had  fast  closed  up  all  the  wombs  of  the 
house  of  Abimelech,  because  of  Sarah  Abraham's  wife. 

Job's  miserable  mistaken,  comforters  had  so 
deported  themselves  in  their  controversy  with  Job 
that  God's  wrath  was  kindled  against  them.  "  My 
servant  Job  shall  pray  for  you,"  said  God,  "  for 
him  will  I  accept." 

"  And  the  Lord  turned  the  captivity  of  Job  when 
he  prayed  for  his  friends." 

Jonah  was  in  dire  condition  when  "  the  Lord 
sent  out  a  great  wind  into  the  sea,  and  there  was  a 
mighty  tempest."  When  lots  were  cast,  "  the  lot 
fell  upon  Jonah."  He  was  cast  overboard  into  the 
sea,  but  "  the  Lord  had  prepared  a^  great  fish  to 
swallow  up  Jonah  .  .  .  Then  Jonah  prayed  unto  the 
Lord  his  God  out  of  the  fish's  bellv  .  •  .  and  the  Lord 
spake  unto  the  fish,  and  it  vomited  out  Jonah  upon 
the  dry  land." 

15 


i6  Purpose  in  Prayer 

When  the  disobedient  prophet  lifted  up  his  voice 
in  prayer,  God  heard  and  sent  dehverance. 

Pharaoh  was  a  firm  believer  in  the  possibilities 
of  prayer,  and  its  abihty  to  relieve.  When  staggering 
under  the  woeful  curses  of  God,  he  pleaded  with 
Moses  to  intercede  for  him.  "  Intreat  the  Lord 
for  me,"  was  his  pathetic  appeal  four  times  repeated 
when  the  plagues  were  scourging  Egypt.  Four  times 
were  these  urgent  appeals  made  to  Moses,  and 
four  times  did  prayer  lift  the  dread  curse  from 
the  hard  king  and  his  doomed  land. 

The  blasphemy  and  idolatry  of  Israel  in  making 
the  golden  calf  and  declaring  their  devotions  to  it 
were  a  fearful  crime.  The  anger  of  God  waxed 
hot,  and  He  declared  that  He  would  destroy  the 
offending  people.  The  Lord  was  very  wroth  with 
Aaron  also,  and  to  Moses  He  said,  "  Let  Me  alone 
that  I  may  destroy  them."  But  Moses  prayed, 
and  kept  on  praying ;  day  and  night  he  prayed 
forty  days.  He  makes  the  record  of  his  prayer 
struggle.  "  I  fell  down,"  he  says,  "  before  the  Lord 
at  the  first  forty  days  and  nights ;  I  did  neither 
eat  bread  nor  drink  water  because  of  your  sins  which 
ye  sinned  in  doing  wickedly  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord 
to  provoke  Him  to  anger.  For  I  was  afraid  of  the 
anger  and  hot  displeasure  wherewith  the  Lord  was 
hot  against  you  to  destroy  you.  But  the  Lord 
hearkened  to  me  at  this  time  also.  And  the  Lord 
was  very  angry  with  Aaron  to  have  destroyed  hini, 
And  I  prayed  for  him  also  at  the  same  time." 


Purpose  in  Prayer  17 

"  Yet  forty  days,  and  Nineveh  shall  be  over- 
thrown. It  was  the  purpose  of  God  to  destroj''  that 
great  and  wicked  city.  But  Nineveh  prayed, 
covered  with  sackcloth  ;  sitting  in  ashes  she  cried 
"  mightily  to  God,"  and  "  God  repented  of  the 
evil  that  He  had  said  He  would  do  unto  them ; 
and  He  did  it  not." 

The  message  of  God  to  Hezekiah  was  :  "  Set 
thine  house  in  order ;  for  thou  shalt  die  and  not 
live."  Hezekiah  turned  his  face  toward  the  wall, 
and  prayed  unto  the  Lord,  and  said :  "  Remember 
now,  0  Lord,  I  beseech  Thee,  how  I  have  walked 
before  Thee  in  truth,  and  with  a  perfect  heart,  and 
have  done  that  which  is  good  in  Thy  sight."  And 
Hezekiah  wept  sore.  God  said  to  Isaiah,  "  Go, 
say  to  Hezekiah,  I  have  heard  thy  prayer,  I  have 
seen  thy  tears ;  behold,  I  will  add  unto  thy  days 
fifteen  years."  * 

These  men  knew  how  to  pray  and  how  to  prevail 
in  prayer.  Their  faith  in  prayer  was  no  passing 
attitude  that  changed  with  the  wind  or  with  their 
own  feelings  and  circumstances ;  it  was  a  fact 
that  God  heard  and  answered,  that  His  ear  was 
ever  open  to  the  cry  of  His  children,  and  that  the 
power  to  do  what  was  asked  of  Him  was  commen- 
surate with  His  willingness.  And  thus  these  men, 
strong  in  faith  and  in  pra3'er,  "  subdued  kingdoms, 
wrought  righteousness,  obtained  promises,  stopped 
the  mouths  of  lions,  quenched  the  power  of- fire, 
escaped  the  edge  of  the  sword,  from  weakness  were 
2 


i8  Purpose  in  Prayer 

made  strong,  waxed  mighty  in  war,  turned  to 
flight  the  armies  of  the  aUens." 

Everything  then,  as  now,  was  possible  to  the 
men  and  women  who  knew  how  to  pray.  Prayer, 
indeed,  opened  a  Hmitless  storehouse,  and  God's 
hand  withheld  nothing.  Prayer  introduced  those 
who  practised  it  into  a  world  of  privilege,  and 
brought  the  strength  and  wealth  of  heaven  down 
to  the  aid  of  finite  man.  What  rich  and  wonderful 
power  was  theirs  who  had  learned  the  secret  of 
victorious  approach  to  God  !  With  Moses  it  saved 
a  nation  ;    with  Ezra  it  saved  a  church. 

And  yet,  strange  as  it  seems  when  we  contemplate 
the  wonders  of  which  God's  people  had  been  witness, 
there  came  a  slackness  in  prayer.  The  mighty 
hold  upon  God,  that  had  so  often  struck  awe  and 
terror  into  the  hearts  of  their  enemies,  lost  its 
grip.  The  people,  backslidden  and  apostate,  had 
gone  off  from  their  praying — if  the  bulk  of  them 
had  ever  truly  prayed.  The  Pharisee's  cold  and 
lifeless  praying  was  substituted  for  any  genuine 
approach  to  God,  and  because  of  that  formal  method 
of  praying  the  whole  worship  became  a  parody 
of  its  real  purpose.  A  glorious  dispensation,  and 
gloriously  executed,  was  it  by  Moses,  by  Ezra,  by 
Daniel  and  Elijah,  by  Hannah  and  Samuel ;  but 
the  circle  seems  limited  and  shortlived  ;  the  praying 
ones  were  few  and  far  between.  Thev  had  no 
survivors,  none  to  imitate  their  devotion  to  Uod, 
none  to  preserve  the  roll  of  the  elect. 


Purpose  in  Prayer  19 

In  vain  had  the  decree  established  the  Divine 
order,  the  Divine  call.  Ask  of  Me.  From  the 
earnest  and  fruitful  crying  to  God  they  turned 
their  faces  to  pagan  gods,  and  cried  in  vain  for  the 
answers  that  could  never  come.  And  so  they  sank 
into  that  godless  and  pitiful  state  that  has  lost 
its  object  in  life  when  the  link  with  the  Eternal 
has  been  broken.  Their  favoured  dispensation  of 
prayer  was  forgotten ;  they  knew  not  how  to 
pray. 

Wiiat  a  contrast  to  the  achievements  that  brighten 
up  other  pages  of  holy  writ.  The  power  working 
through  Elijah  and  Elisha  in  answer  to  prayer 
reached  down  even  to  the  very  grave.  In  each 
case  a  child  was  raised  from  the  dead,  and  the 
powers  of  famine  were  broken.  **  The  supplications 
of  a  righteous  man  avail  much."  Elijah  was  a 
man  of  like  passions  with  us.  He  prayed  fervently 
that  it  might  not  rain,  and  it  rained  not  on 
the  earth  for  three  years  and  six  months. 
And  he  prayed  again,  and  the  heaven  gave  rain, 
and  the  earth  brought  forth  her  fruit.  Jonah 
prayed  while  imprisoned  in  the  great  fish,  and  he 
came  to  dry  land,  saved  from  storm  and  sea  and 
monsters  of  the  deep  by  the  mighty  energy  of  his 
praying. 

How  wide  the  gracious  provision  of  the  grace  of 
praying  as  administered  in  that  marvellous  dispen- 
sation. They  prayed  wondrously.  Why  could  not 
their   praying   save   the   dispensation   from   decay 


20  Purpose  in  Prayer 

and  death  ?  Was  it  not  because  they  lost  the  fire 
without  which  all  prajing  degenerates  into  a  lifeless 
form  ?  It  takes  effort  and  toil  and  care  to  prepare 
the  incense.  Prater  is  no  laggard's  work.  When 
all  the  rich,  spiced  graces  from  the  body  of  prayer 
have  by  labour  and  beating  been  blended  and 
refined  and  intermixed,  the  fire  is  needed  to  unloose 
the  incense  and  make  its  fragrance  rise  to  the 
throne  of  God.  The  fire  that  consumes  creates  the 
spirit  and  life  of  the  incense.  Without  fire  prayer 
has  no  spirit ;  it  is,  like  dead  spices,  for  corruption 
and  worms. 

The  casual,  intermittent  prayer  is  never  bathed 
in  this  Divine  fire.  For  the  man  who  thus  prays  is 
lacking  in  the  earnestness  that  lays  hold  of  God, 
determined  not  to  let  Him  go  until  the  blessing 
comes.  "  Pray  without  ceasing,"  counselled  the 
great  Apostle.  That  is  the  habit  that  drives  prayer 
right  into  the  mortar  that  holds  the  building  stones 
together.  "  You  can  do  more  than  pray  after  you 
have  prayed,"  said  the  godly  Dr.  A.  J.  Gordon, 
"  but  you  cannot  do  more  than  pray  until  you  have 
prayed."  The  story  of  every  great  Christian 
achievement  is  the  history  of  answered  prayer. 

"  The  greatest  and  the  best  talent  that  God 
gives  to  any  man  or  woman  in  this  world  is  the 
talent  of  prayer,"  writes  Principal  Alexander 
Whyte.  "  And  the  best  usury  that  any  man  or 
woman  brings  back  to  God  when  He  comes  to 
reckon  with  them  at  the  end  of  this  world  is  a 


Purpose  in  Prayer  21 

life  of  prayer.  And  those  servants  best  put  their 
Lord's  money  '  to  the  exchangers '  who  rise  early 
and  sit  late,  as  long  as  they  are  in  this  world,  ever 
finding  out  and  ever  following  after  better  and 
better  methods  of  prayer,  and  ever  forming  more 
secret,  more  steadfast,  and  more  spiritually  fruitful 
habits  of  prayer,  till  they  Uterally  '  pray  without 
ceasing,'  and  till  they  continually  strike  out  into 
new  enterprises  in  prayer,  and  new  achievements, 
and  new  enrichments." 

Martin  Luther,  when  once  asked  what  his  plans 
for  the  following  day  were,  answered  :  "  Work, 
work,  from  early  until  late.  In  fact,  I  have  so 
much  to  do  that  I  shall  spend  the  first  three  hours 
in  prayer."  Cromwell,  too,  believed  in  being 
much  upon  his  knees.  Looking  on  one  occasion 
at  the  statues  of  famous  men,  he  turned  to  a  friend 
and  said  :  "  Make  mine  kneeling,  for  thus  I  came 
to  glory." 

It  is  only  when  the  whole  heart  is  gripped  with 
the  passion  of  prayer  that  the  life-giving  fire 
descends,  for  none  but  the  earnest  man  gets  access 
to  the  ear  of  God. 


When  thou  feelest  thyself  most  indisposed  to  prayer  yield 
not  to  it,  but  strive  and  endeavour  to  pray  even  when  thou 
thinkest  thou  canst  not  pray. — Hildersam. 

It  was  among  the  Parthians  the  custom  that  none  was  to 
give  their  children  any  meat  in  the  morning  before  they  saw 
the  sweat  on  their  faces,  and  you  shall  find  this  to  be  God's 
usual  course  not  to  give  His  children  the  taste  of  His  delights 
till  they  begin  to  sweat  in  seeking  after  them. — Richard  Baxter. 

Of  all  the  duties  enjoined  by  Christianity  none  is  more 
essential  and  yet  more  neglected  than  prayer.  Most  people 
consider  the  exercise  a  fatiguing  ceremony,  which  they  are 
justified  in  abridging  as  much  as  possible.  Even  those  whose 
profession  or  fears  lead  them  to  pray,  pray  with  such  languor 
and  wanderings  of  mind  that  their  prayers,  far  from  drawing 
down  blessings,  only  increase  their  condemnation. — Fsnelon. 


Ill 

More  praying  and  better  is  the  secret  of  the  whole 
matter.  More  time  for  prayer,  more  rehsh  and 
preparation  to  meet  God,  to  commune  with  God 
through  Christ — this  has  in  it  the  whole  of  the 
matter.  Our  manner  and  matter  of  praying  ill 
become  us.  The  attitude  and  relationship  of  God 
and  the  Son  are  the  eternal  relationship  of  Father 
and  Son,  of  asking  and  giving — the  Son  always 
asking,  the  Father  always  giving ; 

A  sk  of  Me,  and  I  will  give  Thee  the  nations  for  Thine 

inheritance, 
And  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  Thy  possession. 
Thou  shalt  break  them  with  a  rod  of  iron ; 
Thou  shalt  dash  them  in  pieces  like  a  potter's  vessel. 

Jesus  is  to  be  always  praying  through  His  people. 
"  And  men  shall  pray  tor  Him  continually."  "  For 
My  house  shall  be  called  a  house  of  prayer  for  My 
peoples."  We  must  prepare  ourselves  to  pray ; 
to  be  like  Christ,  to  pray  like  Christ. 

Man's  access  in  prayer  to  God  opens  everything, 
and  makes  his  impoverishment  his  wealth.  All 
things  are  his  through  prayer.  The  wealth  and  the 
glory — all  things  are  Christ's.  As  the  light  grows 
brighter  and  prophets  take  in  the  nature  of  the 
restoration,  the  Divine  record  seems  to  be  enlarged. 

23 


24  Purpose  in  Prayer 

"  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  and 
His  Maker,  ask  Me  of  the  things  that  are  to  come, 
concerning  My  sons,  and  concerning  the  work 
of  My  hands  command  ye  j\Ie.  I  have  made  the 
earth,  and  created  man  upon  it :  I,  even  My  hands, 
have  stretched  out  the  heavens  and  all  their  host 
have  I  commanded." 

To  man  is  given  to  command  God  with  all  this 
authority  and  power  in  the  demands  of  God's  earthly 
Kingdom.  Heaven,  with  all  it  has,  is  under  tribute 
to  carry  out  the  ultimate,  final  and  glorious  purposes 
of  God.  Why  then  is  the  time  so  long  in  carrying 
out  these  wise  benedictions  for  man  ?  Why  then 
does  sin  so  long  reign  ?  Why  are  the  oath-bound 
covenant  promises  so  long  in  coming  to  their 
gracious  end  ?  Sin  reigns,  Satan  reigns,  sighing 
marks  the  lives  of  many  ;  all  tears  are  fresh  and 
full. 

Why  is  all  this  so  ?  We  have  not  prayed  to  bring 
the  evil  to  an  end  ;  we  have  not  prayed  as  we 
must  pray.  We  have  not  met  the  conditions  of 
prayer. 

Ask  of  Me.  Ask  of  God.  We  have  not  rested 
on  prayer.  We  have  not  made  prayer  the  sole 
condition.  There  has  been,  violation  of  the  primary 
condition  of  prayer.  We  have  not  prayed  aright. 
We  have  not  prayed  at  all.  God  is  willing  to  give, 
but  we  are  slow  to  ask.  The  Son,  through  His  saints, 
is  ever  praying  and  God  the  Father  is  ever  answering. 

Ask  of  Me.     In  the  invitation  is  conveyed  the 


Purpose  in  Prayer  25 

assurance  of  answer  ;  the  shout  of  victory  is  there 
and  may  be  heard  by  the  hstening  ear.  The  Father 
holds  the  authority  and  power  in  His  hands.  How 
easy  is  the  condition,  and  yet  how  long  are  we  in 
fulfilling  the  conditions  !  Nations  are  in  bondage  ; 
the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  are  still  unpossessed. 
The  earth  groans  ;  the  world  is  still  in  bondage  ; 
Satan  and  evil  hold  sway. 

The  Father  holds  Himself  in  the  attitude  of 
Giver,  Ask  of  Me,  and  that  petition  to  God  the 
Father  empowers  all  agencies,  inspires  all  move- 
ments. The  Gospel  is  Divinely  inspired.  Back 
of  all  its  inspirations  is  prayer.  Ask  of  Me  lies 
back  of  all  movements.  Standing  as  the  endowment 
of  the  enthroned  Christ  is  the  oath-bound  covenant 
of  the  Father,  "  Ask  of  Me,  and  I  will  give  thee  the 
nations  for  thine  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost 
parts  of  the  earth  for  thy  possession."  "  And  men 
shall  pray  to  Him  continually." 

Ever  are  the  prayers  of  holy  men  streaming  up 
to  God  as  fragrant  as  the  richest  incense.  And  God 
in  many  ways  is  speaking  to  us,  declaring  His 
wealth  and  our  impoverishment.  "I  am  the 
Maker  of  all  things ;  the  wealth  and  glory  are 
Mine.     Command  ye  Me." 

We  can  do  all  things  by  God's  aid,  and  can  have 
the  whole  of  His  aid  by  asking.  The  Gospel,  in  its 
success  and  power,  depends  on  our  ability  to  pray. 
The  dispensations  of  God  depend  on  man's  abihty 
to  pray.     We  can  have  all  that  God  has.     Command 


26  Purpose  in  Prayer 

ye  Me.  This  is  no  figment  of  the  imagination,  no 
idle  dream,  no  vain  fancy.  The  hfe  of  the  Church 
is  the  highest  hfe.  Its  office  is  to  pray.  Its  prayer 
life  is  the  highest  hfe,  the  most  odorous,  the  most 
conspicuous. 

The  Book  of  Revelation  says  nothing  about 
prayer  as  a  great  duty,  a  hallowed  service,  but 
much  about  prayer  in  its  aggregated  force  and 
energies.  It  is  the  prayer  force  ever  living  and 
ever  praying  ;  it  is  all  saints'  prayers  going  out  as  a 
mighty,  living  energy  while  the  lips  that  uttered  the 
words  are  stilled  and  sealed  in  death,  while  the 
living  church  has  an  energy  of  faith  to  inherit 
the  forces  of  all  the  past  praying  and  make  it 
deathless. 

The  statement  by  the  Baptist  philosopher,  John 
Foster,  contains  the  purest  philosophy  and  the 
simple  truth  of  God,  for  God  has  no  force  and 
demands  no  conditions  but  prayer.  '*  More  and 
better  praying  will  bring  the  surest  and  readiest 
triumph  to  God's  cause ;  feeble,  formal,  listless 
praying  brings  decay  and  death.  The  Church 
has  its  sheet-anchor  in  the  closet ;  its  magazine 
stores  are  there." 

"I  am  convinced,"  Foster  continues,  "  that 
every  man  who  amidst  his  serious  projects  is  apprized 
of  his  dependence  upon  God  as  completely  as 
that  dependence  is  a  fact,  will  be  impelled  to  pray 
and  anxious  to  induce  his  serious  friends  to  pray 
almost  every  hour.     He  will  not  without  it  promise 


Purpose  in  Prayer  27 

himself  any  noble  success  any  more  than  a  mariner 
would  expect  to  reach  a  distant  coast  by  having 
his  sails  spread  in  a  stagnation  of  air. 

"  I  have  intimated  my  fear  that  it  is  visionary 
to  expect  an  unusual  success  in  the  human  adminis- 
stration  of  religion  unless  there  are  unusual  omens  : 
now  a  most  emphatical  spirit  of  prayer  would  be 
such  an  omen  ;  and  the  individual  who  should 
determine  to  try  its  last  possible  efficacy  might 
probably  find  himself  becoming  a  much  more 
prevaihng  agent  in  his  little  sphere.  And  if  the 
whole,  or  the  greater  number  of  the  disciples  of 
Christianity  were  with  an  earnest  and  unalterable 
resolution  of  each  to  combine  that  heaven  shovdd 
not  withhold  one  single  influence  which  the  very 
utmost  effort  of  conspiring  and  persevering  suppli- 
cation w^ould  obtain,  it  would  be  a  sign  that  a 
revolution  of  the  world  was  at  hand." 

Edward  Payson,  one  of  God's  own,  says  of  this 
statement  of  Foster,  "  Very  few  missionaries  since 
the  apostles,  probably  have  tried  the  experiment. 
He  who  shall  make  the  first  trial  will,  I  believe, 
effect  wonders.  Nothing  that  I  could  write,  nothing 
that  an  angel  could  write,  would  be  necessary  to 
him  who  should  make  this  trial. 

**  One  of  the  principal  results  of  the  Httle 
experience  which  I  have  had  as  a  Christian  minister 
is  a  conviction  that  religion  consists  very  much  in 
giving  God  that  place  in  our  views  and  feelings 
which  He  actually  fills  in  the  universe.     We  know 


28  Purpose  in  Prayer 

that  in  the  universe  He  is  all  in  all.  So  far  as  He 
is  constantly  all  in  all  to  us,  so  far  as  we  comply 
with  the  Psalmist's  charge  to  his  soul,  '  My  soul, 
wait  thou  only  upon  God ;  '  so  far,  I  apprehend, 
have  we  advanced  towards  perfection.  It  is  com- 
parati\'ely  easy  to  wait  upon  God  ;  but  to  wait  upon 
Him  only — to  feel,  so  far  as  our  strength,  happiness, 
and  usefulness  are  concerned,  as  if  all  creatures 
and  second  causes  were  annihilated,  and  we  were 
alone  in  the  universe  with  God,  is,  I  suspect,  a 
difficult  and  rare  attainnient.  At  least,  I  am  sure 
it  is  one  which  I  am  very  far  from  having  made.  In 
proportion  as  we  make  this  attainment  we  shall  find 
everything  easy  ;  for  we  shall  become,  emphatically, 
men  of  pra3'er  ;  and  we  maj^  say  of  prayer  as 
Solomon  says  ot  money,  that  it  answereth  all 
things." 

This  same  John  Foster  said,  when  approaching 
death :  "I  never  prayed  more  earnestly  nor 
probably  with  such  faithful  frequency.  '  Pray  with- 
out ceasing  '  has  been  the  sentence  repeating  itself 
in  the  silent  thought,  and  I  am  sure  it  must  be  my 
practice  till  the  last  conscious  hour  of  life.  Oh, 
why  not  throughout  that  long,  indolent,  inanimate 
half-century  past  ?  " 

And  yet  this  is  the  way  in  which  we  all  act  about 
prayer.  Conscious  as  we  are  of  its  importance,  of 
its  vital  importance,  we  yet  let  the  hours  pass  away 
as  a  blank  and  can  only  lament  in  death  the 
irremediable  loss. 


Purpose  in  Prayer  29 

When  we  calmly  reflect  upon  the  fact  that  the 
progress  of  our  Lord's  Kingdom  is  dependent 
upon  prayer,  it  is  sad  to  think  that  we  give  so 
httle  time  to  the  holy  exercise.  Everything  depends 
upon  prayer,  and  yet  we  neglect  it  not  only  to  our 
own  spiritual  hurt  but  also  to  the  delay  and  injury 
of  our  Lord's  cause  upon  earth.  The  forces  of 
good  and  evil  are  contending  for  the  world.  If  we 
would,  we  could  add  to  the  conquering  power  of 
the  army  of  righteousness,  and  yet  our  hps  are 
sealed,  our  hands  hang  listlessly  by  our  side,  and 
we  jeopardise  the  very  cause  in  which  we  profess 
to  be  deeply  interested  by  holding  back  from  the 
prayer  chamber. 

Prayer  is  the  one  prime,  eternal  condition  by 
which  the  Father  is  pledged  to  put  the  Son  in 
possession  of  the  world.  Christ  prays  through  His 
people.  Had  there  been  importunate,  universal 
and  continuous  prayer  by  God's  people,  long  ere 
this  the  earth  had  been  possessed  for  Christ.  The 
delay  is  not  to  be  accounted  for  by  the  inveterate 
obstacles,  but  by  the  lack  of  the  right  asking. 
We  do  more  of  everything  else  than  of  praying. 
As  poor  as  our  giving  is,  our  contributions  of  money 
exceed  our  offerings  of  prayer.  Perhaps  in  the 
average  congregation  fifty  aid  in  paying,  where 
one  saintly,  ardent  soul  shuts  itself  up  with  God 
and  wrestles  for  the  deliverance  of  the  heathen 
world.  Official  praying  on  set  or  state  occasions 
counts  for  nothing  in  this  estimate.     We  emphasise 


30  Purpose  in  Prayer 

other   things   more   than  we  do   the  necessity   of 
prayer. 

We  are  saying  prayers  after  an  orderly  way,  but 
we  have  not  the  world  in  the  grasp  of  our  faith. 
We  are  not  praying  after  the  order  that  moves 
God  and  brings  all  Divine  influences  to  help  us. 
The  world  needs  more  true  praying  to  save  it  from 
the  reign  aiid  ruin  of  Satan. 

We  do  not  pray  as  Elijah  prayed.  John  Foster 
puts  the  whole  matter  to  a  practical  point.  **  When 
the  Church  of  God,"  he  says,  "  is  aroused  to  its 
obligation  and  duties  and  right  faith  to  claim  what 
Christ  has  promised — '  all  things  whatsoever ' — 
a  revolution  will  take  place." 

But  not  all  praying  is  praying.  The  driving 
power,  the  conquering  force  in  God's  cause  is  God 
Himself.  "Call  upon  Me  and  I  will  answer  thee 
and  show, thee  great  and  mighty  things  which  thou 
knowest  not,"  is  God's  challenge  to  prayer.  Prayer 
puts  God  in  full  force  into  God's  work.  "  Ask  of  Me 
things  to  come,  concerning  My  sons,  and  concerning 
the  work  of  My  hands  command  ye  Me  " — God's 
carte  blanche  to  prayer.  Faith  is  only  omnipotent 
when  on  its  knees,  and  its  outstretched  hands  take 
hold  of  God,  then  it  draws  to  the  utmost  of  God's 
capacity ;  for  only  a  praying  faith  can  get  God's 
"  all  things  whatsoever."  Wonderful  lessons  are 
the  Syrophenician  woman,  the  importunate  widow, 
and  the  friend  at  midnight,  of  what  dauntless 
prayer  can  do  in  mastering  or  defying  conditions, 


Purpose  in  Prayer  3T 

in  changing  defeat  into  victory  and  4:riumphing  in 
the  regions  of  despair.  Oneness  with  Christ,  the 
acme  of  spiritual  attainment,  is  glorious  in  all  things ; 
most  glorious  in  that  we  can  then  "  ask  what  we 
will  and  it  shall  be  done  unto  us."  Prayer  in  Jesus' 
name  puts  the  crowning  crown  on  God,  because  it 
glorifies  Him  through  the  Son  and  pledges  the  Son 
to  give  to  men  "  whatsoever  and  anything  "  they 
shall  ask. 

In  the  New  Testament  the  marvellous  prayer 
of  the  Old  Testament  is  put  to  the  front  that  it 
may  provoke  and  stimulate  our  praying,  and  it  is 
preceded  with  a  declaration,  the  dynamic  energy 
of  which  we  can  scarcely  translate.  "  The  supplica- 
tion of  a  righteous  man  availeth  much.  Elijah 
was  a  man  of  like  passions  with  us,  and  he 
prayed  earnestly  that  it  might  not  rain,  and  it 
rained  not  on  the  earth  by  the  space  of  three  years 
and  six  months.  And  he  prayed  again,  and  the 
heaven  gave  rain,  and  the  earth  brought  forth 
her  fruit." 

Our  paucity  in  results,  the  cause  of  all  leanness,        )  C 
is  solved  by  the  Apostle  James — "  Ye  have  not, 
because  ye  ask  not.     Ye  ask  and  receive  not,  because 
ye    ask    amiss,    that    ye    may    spend    it    on    your 
pleasures." 

That  is  the  whole  truth  in  a  nutshell. 


\ 


The  potency  of  prayer  hath  subdued  the  strength  of  fire  ; 
it  had  bridled  the  rage  of  lions,  hushed  anarchy  to  rest,  ex- 
tinguished wars,  appeased  the  elements,  expelled  demons, 
burst  the  chains  of  death,  expanded  the  gates  of  heaven, 
assuaged  diseases,  repelled  frauds,  rescued  cities  from  destruc- 
tion, stayed  the  sun  in  its  course,  and  arrested  the  progress  of 
the  thunderbolt.  Prayer  is  an  all-efficient  panoply,  a  treasure 
undiminished,  a  mine  which  is  never  exhausted,  a  sky  un- 
obscured  by  clouds,  a  heaven  unruffled  by  the  storm.  It  is 
the  root,  the  fountain,   the  mother  of  a  thousand  blessings. 

— Chrysostom. 

The  prayers  of  holy  men  appease  God's  wrath,  drive  away 
temptations,  resist  and  overcome  the  devil,  procure  the  ministry 
and  service  of  angels,  rescind  the  decrees  of  God.  Prayer 
cures  sickness  and  obtains  pardon  ;  it  arrests  the  sun  in  its 
course  and  stays  the  wheels  of  the  chariot  of  the  moon  ;  it 
rules  over  all  gods  and  opens  and  shuts  the  storehouses  of 
rain,  it  unlocks  the  cabinet  of  the  womb  and  quenches  the 
violence  of  fire  ;  it  stops  the  mouths  of  lions  and  reconciles 
our  suffering  and  weak  faculties  with  the  violence  of  torment 
and  violence  of  persecution  ;  it  pleases  God  and  supplies  all 
our  need. — Jeremy  Taylor. 

More  things  are  wrought  by  prayer 
Than  this  world  dreayns  of.      Wherefore,  let  thy  ioicc 
Rise  like  a  fountain  for  me  night  and  day. 
For  tvhat  are  men  better  than  sheep  or  goats, 
That  nourish  a  blind  life  within  the  brain. 
If,  knowing  God,  they  lift  not  hands  of  prayer 
Both  for  themselves  and  those  who  call  them  friend  ? 
For  so  the  whole  round  earth  is  every  way 
Bound  by  gold  chains  about  the  feet  of  God. 

— Tennyson. 

Perfect  prayer  is  only  another  name  for  Jove. — Fenelon. 


IV 

It  was  said  of  the  late  C.  H.  Spurgeon,  that  he  glided 
from  laughter  to  prayer  with  the  naturalness  of  one 
who  lived  in  both  elements.  With  him  the  habit  of 
prayer  was  free  and  unfettered.  His  life  was  not 
divided  into  compartments,  the  one  shut  off  from  the 
other  with  a  rigid  exclusiveness  that  barred  all 
intercommunication.  He  Uved  in  constant  fellow- 
ship with  his  Father  in  Heaven.  He  was  ever  in 
touch  with  God,  and  thus  it  was  as  natural  for  him 
to  pray  as  it  was  for  him  to  breathe. 

"  What  a  fine  time  we  have  had  ;  let  us  thank 
God  for  it,"  he  said  to  a  friend  on  one  occasion, 
when,  out  under  the  blue  sky  and  wrapped  in 
glorious  sunshine,  they  had  enjoyed  a  holiday  with 
the  unfettered  enthusiasm  of  schoolboys.  Prayer 
sprang  as  spontaneously  to  his  lips  as  did  ordinary 
speech,  and  never  was  there  the  shghtest  incongruity 
in  his  approach  to  the  Divine  throne  straight  from 
any  scene  in  which  he  might  be  taking  part. 

That  is  the  attitude  with  regard  to  prayer 
that  ought  to  mark  every  child  of  God.  There  are, 
and  there  ought  to  be,  stated  seasons  of  communion 
with  God  when,  everything  else  shut  out,  we  come 
into  His  presence  to  talk  to  Him  and  to  let  Him 
3  33 


34  Purpose  in  Prayer 

speak  to  us ;  and  out  oi  such  seasons  springs  that 
beautiful  habit  of  prayer  that  weaves  a  golden 
bond  between  earth  and  heaven.  Without  such 
stated  seasons  the  habit  of  prayer  can  never  be 
formed  ;  without  them  there  is  no  nourishment  for 
the  spiritual  hfe.  By  means  of  them  the  soul  is 
lifted  into  a  new  atmosphere — the  atmosphere  of 
the  heavenly  city,  in  which  it  is  easy  to  open  the 
heart  to  God  and  to  speak  with  Him  as  friend 
speaks  with  friend. 

Thus,  in  every  circumstance  of  hfe,  prayer  is  the 
most  natural  out-pouring  of  the  soul,  the  unhindered 
turning  to  God  for  communion  and  direction. 
Whether  in  sorrow  or  in  joy,  in  defeat  or  in  victory, 
in  health  or  in  weakness,  in  calamity  or  in  success, 
the  heart  leaps  to  meet  with  God  just  as  a  child  runs 
to  his  mother's  arms,  ever  sure  that  with  her  is  the 
sympathy  that  meets  every  need. 

Dr.  Adam  Clarke,  in  his  autobiography,  records 
that  when  Mr.  Wesley  was  returning  to  England  by 
ship,  considerable  delay  was  caused  by  contrary 
winds.  Wesley  was  reading,  when  he  became  aware 
of  some  confusion  on  board,  and  asking  what  was 
the  matter,  he  was  informed  that  the  wind  was 
contrary.  "  Then,"  was  his  reply,  "  let  us  go  to 
prayer." 

After  Dr.  Clarke  had  prayed,  Wesley  broke  out 
into  fervent  supplication  which  seemed  to  be  more  the 
offering  of  faith  than  af  mere  desire.  "  Almighty 
and  everlasting  God,"  he  prayed,  "  Thou  hast  sway 


Purpose   in   Prayer  35 

ever5rwhere,  and  all  things  serve  the  purpose  of  Thy 
will,  Thou  holdest  the  winds  in  Thy  fists  and  sittest 
upon  the  water  floods,  and  reignest  a  King  for  ever. 
Command  these  winds  and  these  waves  that  they 
obey  Thee,  and  take  us  speedily  and  safely  to  the 
haven  whither  we  would  go." 

The  power  of  this  petition  was  felt  by  all.  Wesley 
rose  from  his  knees,  made  no  remark,  but  took  up 
his  book  and  continued  reading.  Dr.  Clarke  went 
on  deck,  and  to  his  surprise  found  the  vessel  under 
sail,  standing  on  her  right  course.  Nor  did  she 
change  till  she  was  safely  at  anchor.  On  the  sudden 
and  favourable  change  of  wind,  Wesley  made  no 
remark  ;  so  fully  did  he  expect  to  he  heard  that  he 
took  it  for  granted  that  he  was  heard. 

That  was  prayer  with  a  purpose — the  definite  and 
direct  utterance  of  one  who  knew  that  he  had  the 
ear  of  God,  and  that  God  had  the  willingness  as 
well  as  the  power  to  grant  the  petition  which  he 
asked  of  Him. 

Major  D,  W.  Whittle,  in  an  introduction  to  the 
wonders  of  prayer,  says  of  George  Miiller,  of  Bristol : 
"  I  met  Mr.  Miiller  in  the  express,  the  morning  of 
our  sailing  from  Quebec  to  Liverpool.  About  half- 
an-hour  before  the  tender  was  to  take  the  passengers 
to  the  ship,  he  asked  of  the  agent  if  a  deck  chair 
had  arrived  for  him  from  New  York.  He  was 
answered,  '  No,'  and  told  that  it  could  not  possibly 
come  in  time  for  the  steamer.  I  had  with  me  a 
chair  I  had  just  purchased,  and  told  Mr.  Miiller  of 


36  Purpose  in  Prayer 

the  place  near  by,  and  suggested,  as  but  a  few 
moments  remained,  that  he  had  better  buy  one  at 
once.  His  reply  was,  '  No,  my  brother.  Our 
Heavenly  Father  will  send  the  chair  from  New 
York.  It  is  one  used  by  Mrs.  Miiller.  I  wrote 
ten  days  ago  to  a  brother,  who  promised  to  see  it 
forwarded  here  last  week.  He  has  not  been  prompt, 
as  I  would  have  desired,  but  I  am  sure  our  Heavenly 
Father  will  send  the  chair.  Mrs.  Miiller  is  very 
sick  on  the  sea,  and  has  particularly  desired  to 
have  this  same  chair,  and  not  finding  it  here 
yesterday,  we  have  made  special  prayer  that  our 
Heavenly  Father  would  be  pleased  to  provide  it 
for  us,  and  we  will  trust  Him  to  do  so.'  As  this 
dear  man  of  God  went  peacefully  on  board,  running 
the  risk  of  Mrs.  Miiller  making  the  trip  without  a 
chair,  when,  for  a  couple  of  dollars,  she  could  have 
been  provided  for,  I  confess  I  feared  Mr.  Miiller  was 
carrying  his  faith  principles  toe  lar  and  not  acting 
wisely.  I  was  kept  at  the  express  office  ten  minutes 
after  Mr.  Miiller  left.  Just  as  I  started  to  hurry 
to  the  wharf,  a  team  drove  up  the  street,  and  on 
top  of  a  load  just  arrived  from  New  York  was  Mr. 
Mailer's,  chair.  It  was  sent  at  once  to  the  tender 
and  placed  in  my  hands  to  take  to  Mr.  Miiller, 
just  as  the  boat  was  leaving  the  dock  (the  Lord 
having  a  lesson  for  me).  Mr.  Miiller  took  it  with 
the  happy,  pleased  expression  of  a  child  who  has 
just  received  a  kindness  deeply  appreciated,  and 
reverently  removing  his  hat  and  folding  his  hands 


Purpose  in  Prayer  37 

over  it,  he  thanked  the  Heavenly  Father  for  sending 
the  chair." 

One  of  Melancthon's  correspondents  writes  of 
Luther's  praying  :  "I  cannot  enough  admire  the 
extraordinary,  cheerfuhiess,  constancy,  faith  and 
hope  of  the  man  in  these  trying  and  vexatious  times. 
He  constantly  feeds  these  gracious  affections  by  a 
very  diligent  study  of  the  Word  of  God.  Then 
not  a  day  passes  in  which  he  does  not  employ  in  prayer 
at  least  three  of  his  very  best  hours.  Once  I  happened 
to  hear  him  at  prayer.  Gracious  God  !  What  spirit 
and  what  faith  is  there  in  his  expressions  !  He 
petitions  God  with  as  much  reverence  as  if  he  was  in 
the  divine  presence,  and  yet  with  as  firm  a  hope  and 
confidence  as  he  would  address  a  father  or  a  friend. 
*  I  know,'  said  he,  '  Thou  art  oui  Father  and  our 
God  ;  and  therefore  I  am  sure  1  hou  wilt  bring  to 
naught  the  persecutors  of  Thy  children.  For 
shouldcst  Thou  fail  to  do  this  Ihine  own  cause, 
being  connected  with  ours,  would  be  endangered. 
It  is  entirely  thine  own  concern.  We,  by  Thy 
providence,  have  been  compelled  to  take  a  part. 
Thou  therefore  wilt  be  our  defence.'  W'hilst  I 
was  listening  to  Lutlier  praying  in  this  manner,  at 
a  distance,  my  soul  seemed  on  lire  within  me,  to 
hear  the  man  address  God  so  like  a  friend,  yet  with 
so  much  gravity  and  reverence  ;  and  also  to  hear 
him,  in  the  course  of  his  prayer,  insisting  on  the 
promises  contained  in  the  Psalms,  as  if  he  were 
sure  his  petitions  would  be  granted." 


38  Purpose  in  Prayer 

Of  William  Bramwell,  a  noted  Methodist  preacher 
in  England,  wonderful  for  his  zeal  and  prayer,  the 
following  is  related  by  a  sergeant  major :  "In 
July,  1811,  our  regiment  was  ordered  for  Spain, 
then  the  seat  of  a  protracted  and  sanguinary  war- 
My  mind  was  painfully  exercised  with  the  thoughts 
of  leaving  my  dear  wife  and  four  helpless  children 
in  a  strange  country,  unprotected  and  unprovided 
for.  Mr.  Bramwell  felt  a  lively  interest  in  our 
situation,  and  his  sympathising  spirit  seemed  to 
drink  in  all  the  agonised  feelings  of  my  tender  wife. 
He  supplicated  the  throne  of  grace  day  and  night 
in  our  behalf.  My  wife  and  I  spent  the  evening 
previous  to  our  march  at  a  friend's  house,  in  company 
with  Mr.  Bramwell,  who  sat  in  a  very  pensive 
mood,  and  appeared  to  be  in  a  spiritual  struggle 
all  the  time.  After  supper,  he  suddenly  pulled  his 
hand  out  of  his  bosom,  laid  it  on  my  knee,  and 
said  :  '  Brother  Riley,  mark  what  I  am  about  to 
say !  You  are  not  to  go  to  Spain.  Remember  I 
tell  you,  you  are  not ;  lor  I  have  been  wrestling 
with  God  on  your  behalf,  and  when  my  Heavenly 
Father  condescends  in  mercy  to  bless  me  with 
power  to  lay  hold  on  Himself,  I  do  not  easily  let  Him 
go  ;  no,  not  until  I  am  favoured  with  an  answer. 
Therefore  you  may  depend  upon  it  that  the  next 
time  I  hear  from  you,  you  will  be  settled  in  quarters.* 
This  came  to  pass  exactly  as  he  said.  The  next 
day  the  order  for  going  to  Spain  was  counter- 
manded," 


Purpose  in  Prayer  39 

These  men  prayed  with  a  purpose.  To  them  God 
was  not  far  away,  in  some  inaccessible  region,  but 
near  at  hand,  ever  ready  to  hsten  to  the  call  of 
His  children.  There  was  no  barrier  between.  They 
were  on  terms  of  perfect  intimacy,  if  one  may  use 
such  a  phrase  in  relation  to  man  and  his  Maker. 
No  cloud  obscured  the  face  of  the  Father  from  His 
trusting  child,  who  could  look  up  into  the  Divine 
countenance  and  pour  out  the  longings  of  his  heart. 
And  that  is  the  type  of  prayer  which  God  never 
fails  to  hear.  He  knows  that  it  comes  from  a  heart 
at  one  with  His  own ;  from  one  who  is  entirely 
yielded  to  the  heavenly  plan,  and  so  He  bends 
His  ear  and  gives  to  the  pleading  child  the 
assurance  that  his  petition  has  been  heard  and 
answered. 

Have  we  not  all  had  some  such  experience  when 
with  set  and  undeviating  purpose  we  have  approached 
the  face  of  our  Father  ?  In  an  agony  of  soul  we 
have  sought  refuge  from  the  oppression  of  the  world 
in  the  anteroom  of  heaven  ;  the  waves  of  despair 
seemed  to  threaten  destruction,  and  as  no  way  of 
escape  was  visible  anywhere,  we  fell  back,  hke  the 
disciples  of  old,  upon  the  power  of  our  Lord,  crying 
to  Him  to  save  us  lest  we  perish.  And  then,  in 
the  twinkhng  of  an  eye,  the  thing  was  done.  The 
billows  sank  into  a  calm ;  the  howling  wind  died 
down  at  the  Divine  command ;  the  agony  of  the 
soul  passed  into  a  restful  peace  as  over  the  whole 
being  there  crept  the  consciousness  of  the  Divine 


40  Purpose  ix  Prayer 

presence,  bringing  with  it  the  assurance  of  answered 
prayer  and  sweet  deUverance. 

"  I  tell  the  Lord  my  troubles  and  difficulties,  and 
wait  for  Him  to  give  me  the  answers  to  them,"  says 
one  man  of  God.  "  And  it  is  wonderful  how  a 
matter  that  looked  very  dark  will  in  prayer  become 
clear  as  crystal  by  the  help  of  God's  Spirit.  I  think 
Christians  fail  so  often  to  get  answers  to  their 
prayers  because  they  do  not  wait  long  enough  on 
God.  They  just  drop  down  and  say  a  few  words, 
and  then  jump  up  and  forget  it  and  expect  God  to 
answer  them.  Such  praying  always  reminds  me 
of  the  small  boy  ringing  his  neighbour's  door-bell, 
and  then  running  away  as  fast  as  he  can  go." 

When  we  acquire  the  habit  of  prayer  we  enter 
into  a  new  atmosphere.  "  Do  you  expect  to  go  to 
heaven  ?  "  asked  some  one  of  a  devout  Scotsman. 
"  Why,  man,  I  live  there,"  was  the  quaint  and 
unexpected  reply.  It  was  a  pithy  statement  of  a 
great  truth,  for  all  the  way  to  heaven  is  heaven 
begun  to  the  Christian  who  walks  near  enough  to 
God  to  hear  the  secrets  He  has  to  impart. 

This  attitude  is  beautifully  illustrated  in  a  story 
of  Horace  Bushnell,  told  by  Dr.  Parkes  Cadman. 
Bushnell  was  found  to  be  suffering  from  an  incurable 
disease.  One  evening  the  Rev.  Joseph  Twichell 
visited  him,  and,  as  they  sat  together  under  the 
starry  sky,  Bushnell  said  :  "  One  of  us  ought  to 
pray."  Twichell  asked  Bushnell  to  do  so,  and 
Bushnell  began  his  prayer ;    burying  his  face  in 


Purpose  in  Prayer  41 

the  earth,  he  poured  out  his  heart  until,  said 
Twichell,  in  recalling  the  incident,  "  I  was  afraid  to 
stretch  out  my  hand  in  the  darkness  lest  I  should 
touch  God." 

To  have  God  thus  near  is  to  enter  the  holy  of 
holies — to  breathe  the  fragrance  of  the  heavenly  air, 
to  walk  in  Eden's  delightful  gardens.  Nothing 
but  prayer  can  bring  God  and  man  into  this  happy 
communion.  That  was  the  experience  of  Samuel 
Rutherford,  just  as  it  is  the  experience  of  every 
one  who  passes  through  the  same  gateway.  When 
this  saint  of  God  was  confined  in  jail  at  one  time  for 
conscience  sake,  he  enjoyed  in  a  rare  degree  the 
Divine  companionship,  recording  in  his  diary  that 
Jesus  entered  his  cell,  and  that  at  His  coming  "  every 
stone  flashed  hke  a  ruby." 

Many  others  have  borne  witness  to  the  same 
sweet  fellowship,  when  prayer  had  become  the  one 
habit  of  life  that  meant  more  than  anything  else 
to  them.  David  Livingstone  lived  in  the  realm  of 
prayer  and  knew  its  gracious  influence.  It  was  his 
habit  every  birthday  to  write  a  prayer,  and  on  the 
next  to  the  last  birthday  of  all,  this  was  his  prayer  : 
"  O  Divine  one,  I  have  not  loved  Thee  earnestly, 
deeply,  sincerely  enough.  Grant,  I  pray  Thee,  that 
before  Lhis  year  is  ended  I  may  have  finished  my 
task."  It  was  just  on  the  threshold  of  the  year  that 
followed  that  his  faithful  men,  as  they  looked  into 
the  hut  of  Ilala,  while  the  rain  dripped  from  the 
eaves,  saw  their  master  on  his  knees  beside  his  bed 


42  Purpose  in  Prayer 

in  an  attitude  of  prayer.     He  had  died  on  his  knees 
in  prayer. 

Stonewall  Jackson  was  a  man  of  prayer.  Said 
he  :  "I  have  so  fixed  the  habit  in  my  mind  that 
I  never  raise  a  glass  of  water  to  my  lips  without 
asking  God's  blessing,  never  seal  a  letter  without 
putting  a  word  of  prayer  imder  the  seal,  never 
take  a  letter  from  the  post  without  a  brief  sending 
of  my  thoughts  heavenw^ard,  never  change  my 
classes  in  the  lecture-room  without  a  minute's 
petition  for  the  cadets  who  go  out  and  for  those 
who  come  in." 

James  Gilmour,  the  pioneer  missionary  to 
Mongolia,  was  a  man  of  prayer.  He  had  a  habit  in 
his  writing  of  never  using  a  blotter.  He  made  a 
rule  when  he  got  to  the  bottom  of  any  page  to 
wait  until  the  ink  dried  and  spend  the  time  in 
prayer. 

In  this  way  their  whole  being  was  saturated 
with  the  Divine,  and  they  became  the  reflectors 
of  the  heavenly  fragrance  and  glory.  Walking 
with  God  down  the  avenues  of  prayer  we  acquire 
something  of  His  likeness,  and  unconsciously  we 
become  witnesses  to  others  of  His  beauty  and  His 
grace.  Professor  James,  in  his  famous  work, 
"  Varieties  of  Religious  Experience,"  tells  of  a 
man  of  forty-nine  who  said  :  "  God  is  more  real 
to  me  than  any  thought  or  thing  or  person.  I  feel 
His  presence  positively,  and  the  more  as  I  live 
in  closer  harmony  with  His  laws  as  written  in  my 


Purpose  in  Prayer  43 

body  and  mind.  I  feel  Him  in  the  sunshine  or 
rain ;  and  all  mingled  with  a  deUcious  restfulness 
most  nearly  describes  my  feelings.  I  talk  to  Him 
as  to  a  companion  in  prayer  and  praise,  and  our 
communion  is  dehghtful.  He  answers  me  again 
and  again,  often  in  words  so  clearly  spoken  that 
it  seems  my  outer  ear  must  have  carried  the  tone, 
but  generally  in  strong  mental  impressions.  Usually 
a  text  of  Scripture,  unfolding  some  new  view  of 
Him  and  His  love  for  me,  and  care  for  my  safety  .  .  . 
That  He  is  mine  and  I  am  His  never  leaves  me ; 
it  is  an  abiding  joy.  Without  it  Ufe  would  be  a 
blank,  a  desert,  a  shoreless,  trackless  waste. '* 

Equally  notable  is  the  testimony  of  Sir  Thomas 
Browne,  the  beloved  physician  who  lived  at  Norwich 
in  1605,  and  was  the  author  of  a  very  remarkable 
book  of  wide  circulation,  "  Religio  Medici."  In 
spite  of  the  fact  that  England  was  passing  through 
a  period  of  national  convulsion  and  political  excite- 
ment, he  found  comfort  and  strength  in  prayer. 
"  I  have  resolved,"  he  wrote  in  a  journal  found 
among  his  private  papers  after  his  death,  "  to 
pray  more  and  pray  always,  to  pray  in  all  places 
where  quietness  invdteth,  in  the  house,  on  the 
highway  and  on  the  street ;  and  to  know  no  street 
or  passage  in  this  city  that  may  not  witness  that 
I  have  not  forgotten  God."  And  he  adds :  "I 
purpose  to  take  occasion  of  praying  upon  the  sight 
of  any  church  which  I  may  pass,  that  God  may  be 
worshipped   there   in   spirit,   and   that   souls  may 


44  Purpose  in   Prayer 

be  saved  there  ;  to  pray  daily  for  my  sick  patients 
and  for  the  patients  of  other  physicians ;  at  my 
entrance  into  any  home  to  say,  *  May  the  peace  of 
God  abide  here  * ;  after  hearing  a  sermon,  to  pray 
for  a  blessing  on  God's  truth,  and  upon  the 
messenger ;  upon  the  sight  of  a  beautiful  person  to 
bless  God  for  His  creatures,  to  pray  for  the  beauty 
of  such  an  one's  soul,  that  God  may  enrich  her 
with  inward  graces,  and  that  the  outward  and 
inward  may  correspond ;  upon  the  sight  of  a 
deformed  person,  to  pray  God  to  give  them  whole- 
ness of  soul,  and  by  and  by  to  give  them  the  beauty 
of  the  resurrection." 

What  an  illustration  of  the  praying  spirit  !  Such 
an  attiude  represents  prayer  without  ceasing,  reveals 
the  habit  of  prayer  in  its  unceasing  supplication, 
in  its  uninterrupted  communion,  in  its  constant 
intercession.  What  an  illustration,  too,  of  purpose 
in  prayer  !  Of  how  many  of  us  can  it  be  said 
that  as  we  pass  people  in  the  street  we  pray  for 
them,  or  that  as  we  enter  a  home  or  a  church  we 
remember  the  inmates  or  the  congregation  in 
prayer  to  God  ? 

The  explanation  of  our  thoughtlessness  or  forgetful- 
ness  lies  in  the  fact  that  prayer  with  so  many  of 
us  is  simply  a  form  of  selfishness ;  it  means  asking 
for  something  for  ourselves — that  and  nothing 
more. 

And  from  such  an  attitude  we  need  to  pray  to  be 
delivered. 


The  prayer  of  faith  is  the  oyily  power  in  the  universe  to 
which  the  great  Jehovah  yields.  Prayer  is  the  sovereign 
remedy. — Robert  Hall. 


The  Church,  intent  on  the  acquisition  of  temporal  power ^ 
had  well  nigh  abandoned  its  spiritual  duties,  and  its  empire, 
which  rested  on  spiritual  foundations,  was  crumbling  with 
their  decay,  and  threatened  to  pass  away  like  an  unsubstantial 
vision. — Lea's  Inquisition. 


V 

Are  we  praying  as  Christ  did  ?  Do  we  abide  in 
Him  ?  Are  our  pleas  and  spirit  the  overflow  of 
His  spirit  and  pleas  ?  Does  love  rule  the  spirit — 
perfect  love  ? 

These  questions  must  be  considered  as  proper  and 
apposite  at  a  time  like  the  present.  We  do  fear 
that  we  are  doing  more  of  other  things  than  prayer. 
This  is  not  a  praying  age  ;  it  is  an  age  of  great 
activity,  of  great  movements,  but  one  in  which  the 
tendency  is  very  strong  to  stress  the  seen  and  the 
material  and  to  neglect  and  discount  the  unseen 
and  the  spiritual.  Prayer  is  the  greatest  of  all  forces, 
because  it  honours  God  and  brings  Him  into  active 
aid. 

There  can  be  no  substitute,  no  rival  for  prayer  ; 
it  stands  alone  as  the  great  spiritual  force,  and 
this  force  must  be  imminent  and  acting.  It  cannot 
be  dispensed  with  during  one  generation,  nor  held 
in  abeyance  for  the  advance  of  any  great  movement 
— it  must  be  continuous  and  particular,  always, 
ever3rvvhere,  and  in  everything.  We  cannot  run  our 
spiritual  operations  on  the  prayers  of  the  past 
generation.  Many  persons  believe  in  the  efhcacy 
of  prayer,  but  not  many  pray.     Prayer  is  the  easiest 

47 


48  Purpose  in  Prayer 

and  hardest  of  all  things ;  the  simplest  and  the 
sublimest ;  the  weakest  and  the  most  powerful ; 
its  results  lie  outside  the  range  of  human  possibilities 
— they  are  limited  only  by  the  omnipotence  of  God, 

Few  Christians  have  anything  but  a  vague  idea 
of  the  power  of  prayer ;  fewer  still  have  any 
experience  of  that  power.  The  Church  seems  almost 
wholly  unaware  of  the  power  God  puts  into  her 
hand  ;  this  spiritual  carte  blanche  on  the  infinite 
resources  of  God's  wisdom  and  power  is  rarely, 
if  ever,  used — never  used  to  the  full  measure  of 
honouring  God.  It  is  astounding  how  poor  the 
use,  how  Httle  the  benefits.  Prayer  is  our  most 
formidable  weapon,  but  the  one  in  which  we  are 
the  least  skilled,  the  most  averse  to  its  use.  We 
do  everything  else  for  the  heathen  save  the  thing 
God  wants  us  to  do  ;  the  only  thing  w^hich  does 
any  good — makes  all  else  we  do  efficient. 

To  graduate  in  the  school  of  prayer  is  to  master 
the  whole  course  of  a  religious  life.  The  first  and 
last  stages  of  holy  Hving  are  crowned  with  praying. 
It  is  a  life  trade.  The  hindrances  of  prayer  are 
the  hindrances  in  a  holy  life.  The  conditions 
of  praying  are  the  conditions  of  righteousness, 
holiness  and  salvation.  A  cobbler  in  the  trade  of 
praying  is  a  bungler  in  the  trade  of  salvation. 

Prayer  is  a  trade  to  be  learned.  We  must  be 
apprentices  and  serve  our  time  at  it.  Painstaking 
care,  much  thought,  practice  and  labour  are 
required   to    be   a   skilful   tradesman   in   praying. 


Purpose  in  Prayer  49 

Practice  in  this,  as  well  as  in  all  other  trades,  makes 
perfect.  Toiling  hands  and  hearts  only  make 
proficients  in  this  heavenly  trade. 

In  spite  of  the  benefits  and  blessings  which  flow 
from  communion  with  God,  the  sad  confession 
must  be  made  that  we  are  not  praying  much.  A 
very  small  number  comparatively  lead  in  prayer 
at  the  meetings.  Fewer  still  pray  in  their  families. 
Fewer  still  are  in  the  habit  of  praying  regularly  in 
their  closets.  Meetings  specially  for  prayer  are  as 
rare  as  frost  in  June.  In  many  churches  there  is 
neither  the  name  nor  the  semblance  of  a  prayer 
meeting.  In  the  town  and  city  churches  the  prayer 
meeting  in  name  is  not  a  prayer  meeting  in  fact. 
A  sermon  or  a  lecture  is  the  main  feature.  Prayer 
is  the  nominal  attachment. 

Our  people  are  not  essentially  a  praying  people. 
That  is  evident  by  their  lives. 

Prayer  and  a  holy  life  are  one.  They  mutually 
act  and  react.  Neither  can  survive  alone.  The 
absence  of  the  one  is  the  absence  of  the  other.  The 
monk  depraved  prayer,  substituted  superstition 
for  praying,  mummeries  and  routine  for  a  holy  life. 
We  are  in  danger  of  substituting  churchly  work 
and  a  ceaseless  round  of  showy  activities  for 
prayer  and  holy  living.  A  holy  life  does  not  live 
in  the  closet,  but  it  cannot  hve  without  the  closet. 
If,  by  any  chance,  a  prayer  chamber  should  be 
established  without  a  holy  life,  it  would  be  a 
chamber  without  the  presence  of  God  in  it. 
4 


50  Purpose  in  Prayer 

Put  the  saints  everywhere  to  praying,  is  the 
burden  of  the  apostoHc  effort  and  the  key  note  of 
apostoHc  success.  Jesus  Christ  had  striven  to  do 
this  in  the  days  of  His  personal  ministry.  He 
was  moved  by  infinite  compassion  at  the  ripened 
fields  of  earth  perishing  for  lack  of  labourers,  and 
pausing  in  His  own  prating,  He  tries  to  awaken  the 
sleeping  sensibilities  of  His  disciples  to  the  duty 
of  prayer,  as  He  charges  them  :  "  Pray  ye  the 
Lord  of  the  harvest  that  He  will  send  forth 
labourers  into  His  harvest."  And  He  spake  a 
parable  to  them  to  this  end,  that  men  ought  always 
to  pray. 

Only  ghmpses  of  this  great  importance  of  prayer 
could  the  apostles  get  before  Pentecost.  But  the 
Spirit  coming  and  filling  on  Pentecost  elevated 
prayer  to  its  vital  and  all-commanding  position 
in  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  The  call  now  of  prayer  to 
every  saiht  is  the  Spirit's  loudest  and  most  exigent 
call.  Sainthood's  piety  is  made,  refined,  perfected, 
by  prayer.  The  Gospel  moves  with  slow  and 
timid  pace  when  the  saints  are  not  at  their  prayers 
early  and  late  and  long. 

Where  are  the  Christlike  leaders  who  can  teach 
the  modern  saints  how^  to  pray  and  put  them  at 
it  ?  Do  our  leaders  know  we  are  raising  up  a 
prayerless  set  of  saints  ?  Where  are  the  apostolic 
leaders  who  can  put  God's  people  to  praying  ? 
Let  them  come  to  the  front  and  do  the  work,  and 
it  will  be  the  greatest  w^ork    that    can    be    done. 


Purpose  in  Prayer  51 

An  increase  of  educational  facilities  and  a  great 
increase  of  money  force  will  be  the  direst  curse 
to  religion  if  they  are  not  sanctified  by  more  and 
better  praying  than  we  are  doing. 

More  praying  will  not  come  as  a  matter  of  course. 
The  campaign  for  the  twentieth  or  thirtieth  century 
will  not  help  our  praying,  but  hinder  if  we  are  not 
careful.  Nothing  but  a  specific  effort  from  a 
praying  leadership  will  avail.  None  but  praying 
leaders  can  have  praying  followers.  Praying 
apostles  will  beget  praying  saints.  A  praying 
pulpit  will  beget  praying  pews.  We  do  greatly 
need  somebody  who  can  set  the  saints  to  this 
business  of  praying.  We  are  a  generation  of  non- 
praying  saints.  Non-praying  saints  are  a  beggarly 
gang  of  saints,  who  have  neither  the  ardour  nor 
the  beauty,  nor  the  power  of  saints.  Who  will 
restore  this  branch  ?  The  greatest  will  he  be  of 
reformers  and  apostles,  who  can  set  the  Church  to 
praying. 

Holy  men  have,  in  the  past,  changed  the  whole 
force  of  affairs,  revolutionised  character  and  country 
by  prayer.  And  such  achievements  are  still  possible 
to  us.  The  power  is  only  wanting  to  be  used. 
Prayer  is  but  the  expression  of  faith. 

Time  would  fail  to  tell  of  the  mighty  things 
wrought  by  prayer,  for  by  it  holy  ones  have  "  sub- 
dued kingdoms,  wrought  righteousness,  obtained 
promises,  stopped  the  mouths  of  lions,  quenched 
the  violence  of  fire,  escaped  the  edge  of  the  sword, 


52  Purpose  in  Prayer 

out  of  weakness  were  made  strong,  waxed  valiant 
in  fight,  turned  to  flight  the  armies  of  the 
ahens,  women  received  their  dead  raised  to  Hfe 
again." 

Prayer  honours  God  ;  it  dishonours  self.  It  is 
man's  plea  of  weakness,  ignorance,  want.  A  plea 
which  heaven  cannot  disregard.  God  delights  to 
have  us  pray. 

Prayer  is  not  the  foe  to  work,  it  does  not  paralyse 
activity.  It  works  mightily ;  prayer  itself  is  the 
greatest  work.  It  springs  activity,  stimulates  desire 
and  effort.  Prayer  is  not  an  opiate  but  a  tonic, 
it  does  not  lull  to  sleep  but  arouses  anew  for  action. 
The  lazy  man  does  not,  will  not,  cannot  pray, 
for  prayer  demands  energy.  Paul  calls  it  a  striving, 
an  agony.  With  Jacob  it  wa^  a  wrestling  ;  with 
the  Syrophenician  woman  it  was  a  struggle  which 
called  into  play  all  the  higher  qualities  of  the  soul, 
and  which  demanded  great  force  to  meet. 

The  closet  is  not  an  asylum  for  the  indolent  and 
worthless  Christian.  It  is  not  a  nursery  where 
none  but  babes  belong.  It  is  the  battlefield  of 
the  Church ;  its  citadel  ;  the  scene  of  heroic  and 
unearthly  conflicts.  The  closet  is  the  base  of 
supplies  for  the  Christian  and  the  Church.  Cut 
off  from  it  there  is  nothing  left  but  retreat  and 
disaster.  The  energy  for  work,  the  mastery  over 
self,  the  dehverance  from  fear,  all  spiritual  results 
and  graces,  are  much  advanced  by  prayer.  The 
difference  between  the  strength,  the  experience,  the 


Purpose  in  Prayer  53 

holiness  of  Christians  is  found  in  the  contrast  in 
their  praying. 

Few,  short,  feeble  prayers,  always  betoken  a 
low,  spiritual  condition.  Men  ought  to  pray  much 
and  apply  themselves  to  it  with  energy  and 
perseverance.  Eminent  Christians  have  been 
eminent  in  prayer.  The  deep  things  of  God  are 
learned  nowhere  else.  Great  things  for  God  are 
done  by  great  prayers.  He  who  prays  much,  ^  \y 
studies  much,  loves  much,  works  much,  does  much 
for  God  and  humanity.  The  execution  of  the 
Gospel,  the  vigour  of  faith,  the  maturity  and 
excellence  of  spiritual  graces  wait  on  prayer. 


"  Nothing  is  impossible  to  industry y*'  said  one  of  the  seven 
sages  of  Greece.  Let  us  change  the  word  industry  for  per- 
severing prayer,  and  the  motto  will  he  more  Christian  and 
more  worthy  of  universal  adoption.  I  am  persuaded  that  we 
are  all  more  deficient  in  a  spirit  of  prayer  than  in  any  other 
grace.  God  loves  importunate  prayer  so  much  that  He  will 
not  give  us  much  blessing  without  it.  And  the  reason  that  He 
loves  such  prayer  is  that  He  loves  us  and  knows  that  it  is  a 
necessary  preparation  for  our  receiving  the  richest  blessings 
which  He  is  waiting  and  longing  to  bestow. 

I  never  prayed  sincerely  and  earnestly  for  anything  but  it 
came  at  some  time — no  matter  at  how  distant  a  day,  somehow, 
in  some  shape,  probably  the  last  I  would  have  devised,  it 
came. — Adoniram  Judson. 

It  is  good,  I  find,  to  persevere  in  attempts  to  pray.  If  I 
cannot  pray  with  perseverance  or  continue  long  in  my  addresses 
to  the  Divine  Being,  I  have  found  that  the  more  I  do  in  secret 
prayer  the  more  I  have  delight  to  do,  and  have  enjoyed  more 
of  the  spirit  of  prayer  ;  and  frequently  I  have  found  the 
contrary,  when  by  journeying  or  otherwise,  I  have  been  deprived 
of  retirement. — David  Brainerd. 


VI 

Christ  puts  importunity  as  a  distinguishing 
characteristic  of  true  praying.  We  must  not  only 
pray,  but  we  must  pray  with  great  urgency,  with 
intentness  and  with  repetition.  We  must  not  only 
pray,  but  we  must  pray  again  and  again.  We  must 
not  get  tired  of  praying.  We  must  be  thoroughly 
in  earnest,  deeply  concerned  about  the  things  for 
which  we  ask,  for  Jesus  Christ  made  it  very  plain 
that  the  secret  of  prayer  and  its  success  lie  in  its 
urgency.     We  must  press  our  prayers  upon  God. 

In  a  parable  of  exquisite  pathos  and  simplicity, 
our  Lord  taught  not  simply  that  men  ought  to 
pray,  but  that  men  ought  to  pray  with  full  hearti- 
ness, and  press  the  matter  with  vigorous  energy  and 
brave  hearts. 

"  And  He  spake  a  parable  unto  them  to  the 
end  that  they  ought  always  to  pray,  and  not  to 
faint ;  saying.  There  was  in  a  city,  a  judge,  which 
feared  not  God,  and  regarded  not  man  :  and  there 
was  a  widow  in  that  city ;  and  she  came  oft  unto 
him,  saying,  Avenge  me  of  mine  adversary. 
And  he  would  not  for  a  while  :  but  afterwards  he 
said  within  himself,  Though  I  fear  not  God,  nor 

55 


56  Purpose  in  Prayer 

regard  man  ;  yet  because  this  widow  troubleth  me, 
I  will  avenge  her,  lest  she  wear  me  out  by  her 
continual  coming.  And  the  Lord  said,  Hear  what 
the  unrighteous  judge  saith.  And  shall  not  God 
avenge  His  elect,  which  cry  to  Him  day  and  night, 
and  He  is  longsuffering  over  them  ?  I  say  unto 
you,  that  He  will  avenge  them  speedily.  Howbeit 
when  the  Son  of  man  cometh,  shall  He  find  faith 
on  the  earth  ?  " 

This  poor  woman's  case  was  a  most  hopeless 
one,  but  importunity  brings  hope  from  the  realms 
of  despair  and  creates  success  where  neither  success 
nor  its  conditions  existed.  There  could  be  no 
stronger  case,  to  show  how  unwearied  and  dauntless 
importunity  gains  its  ends  where  everything  else 
fails.  The  preface  to  this  parable  says :  "He 
spake  a  parable  to  this  end,  that  men  ought  always 
to  pray  and  not  to  faint."  He  knew  that  men 
would  soon  get  faint-hearted  in  praying,  so  to 
hearten  us  He  gives  this  picture  of  the  marvellous 
power  of  importunity. 

The  widow,  weak  and  helpless,  is  helplessness 
personified ;  bereft  of  every  hope  and  influence 
which  c^uld  move  an  unjust  judge,  she  yet  wins 
her  case  solely  by  her  tireless  and  offensive  impor- 
tunity. Could  the  necessity  of  importunity,  its 
power  and  tremendous  importance  in  prayer, 
be  pictured  in  deeper  or  more  impressive  colouring  ? 
It  surmounts  or  removes  all  obstacles,  overcomes 
every  resisting  force  and  gains  its  ends  in  the  face  of 


Purpose  in  Prayer  57 

invincible  hindrances.  We  can  do  nothing  without 
prayer.  All  things  can  be  done  by  importunate 
prayer. 

That  is  the  teaching  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Another  parable  spoken  by  Jesus  enforces  the 
same  great  truth.  A  man  at  midnight  goes  to  his 
friend  for  a  loan  of  bread.  His  pleas  are  strong, 
based  on  friendship  and  the  embarrassing  and 
exacting  demands  of  necessity,  but  these  all  fail. 
He  gets  no  bread,  but  he  stays  and  presses,  and 
waits  and  gains.  Sheer  importunity  succeeds  where 
all  other  pleas  and  influences  had  failed. 

The  case  of  the  Syrophenician  woman  is  a  parable 
in  action.  She  is  arrested  in  her  approaches  to 
Christ  by  the  information  that  He  will  not  see 
any  one.  She  is  denied  His  presence,  and  then  in 
His  presence  is  treated  with  seeming  indifference, 
with  the  chill  of  silence  and  unconcern  :  she  presses 
and  approaches,  the  pressure  and  approach  are 
repulsed  by  the  stern  and  crushing  statement 
that  He  is  not  sent  to  her  kith  or  kind,  that  she 
is  reprobated  from  His  mission  and  power.  She  is 
humiliated  by  being  called  a  dog.  Yet  she  accepts 
all,  overcomes  all,  wins  all  by  her  humble,  daunt- 
less, invincible  importunity.  The  Son  of  God, 
pleased,  surprised,  overpowered  by  her  uncon- 
querable importunity,  says  to  her  :  "  O,  woman, 
great  is  thy  faith  ;  be  it  unto  thee  even  as  thou 
wilt."  Jesus  Christ  siuTcnders  Himself  to  the 
importunity  of  a  great  faith.     "  And  shall  not  God 


58  Purpose  in  Prayer 

avenge  His  own  elect  which  cry  day  and  night  unto 
Him,  though  He  bear  long  with  them  ?  " 

Jesus  Christ  puts  abihty  to  importune  as  one  of 
the  elements  of  prayer,  one  of  the  main  conditions 
of  prayer.  The  prayer  of  the  Syrophenician 
woman  is  an  exhibition  of  the  matchless  power  of 
importunity,  of  a  conflict  more  real  and  involving 
more  of  vital  energy,  endurance,  and  all  the  higher 
elements  than  was  ever  illustrated  in  the  conflicts 
of  Isthmia  or  Olympia. 

The  first  lessons  of  importunity  are  taught  in 
the  Sermon  on  the  Mount — "  Ask,  and  it  shall 
be  given  ;  seek,  and  ye  shall  find  ;  knock,  and  it 
shall  be  opened."  These  are  steps  of  advance — 
*'  For  every  one  that  asketh,  receiveth  ;  and  he 
that  seeketh,  findeth ;  and  to  him  that  knocketh, 
it  shall  be  opened." 

Without  continuance  the  prayer  may  go  un- 
answered. Importunity  is  made  up  of  the  ability 
to  hold  on,  to  press  on,  to  wait  with  unrelaxed 
and  unrelaxable  grasp,  restless  desire  and  restful 
patience.  Importunate  prayer  is  not  an  incident, 
but  the  main  thing,  not  a  performance  but  a  passion, 
not  a  need  but  a  necessity. 

Prayer  in  its  highest  form  and  grandest  success 
assumes  the  attitude  of  a  wrestler  with  God.  It 
is  the  contest,  trial  and  victory  of  faith  ;  a  victory 
not  secured  from  an  enemy,  but  from  Him  who 
tries  our  faith  that  He  may  enlarge  it  :  that  tests 
our  strength  to  make  us  stronger.     Few  things  give 


Purpose  in  Prayer  59 

such  quickened  and  permanent  vigour  to  the  soul 
as  a  long  exhaustive  season  of  importunate  prayer. 
It  makes  an  experience,  an  epoch,  a  new  calendar 
for  the  spirit,  a  new  life  to  religion,  a  soldierly 
training.  The  Bible  never  wearies  in  its  pressure  and 
illustration  of  the  fact  that  the  highest  spiritual 
good  is  secured  as  the  iretum  of  the  outgoing  of  the 
highest  form  of  spiritual  effort.  There  is  neither 
encouragement  nor  room  in  Bible  religion  for  feeble 
desires,  listless  efforts,  lazy  attitudes;  all  must 
be  strenuous,  urgent,  ardent.  Inflamed  desires, 
impassioned,  unwearied  insistence  delight  heaven. 
God  would  have  His  children  incorrigibly  in  earnest 
and  persistently  bold  in  their  efforts.  Heaven  is 
too  busy  to  hsten  to  half-hearted  prayers  or  to 
respond  to  pop-calls. 

Our  whole  being  must  be  in  our  praying ;  like 
John  Knox,  we  must  say  and  feel,  "  Give  me 
Scotland,  or  I  die."  Our  experience  and  revelations 
of  God  are  bom  of  our  costly  sacrifice,  our  costly 
conflicts,  our  costly  praying.  The  wrestling,  all 
night  praying,  of  Jacob  made  an  era  never  to  be 
forgotten  in  Jacob's  Hfe,  brought  God  to  the  rescue, 
changed  Esau's  attitude  and  conduct,  changed 
Jacob's  character,  saved  and  affected  his  life  and 
entered  into  the  habits  of  a  nation. 

Our  seasons  of  importunate  prayer  cut  themselves, 
like  the  print  of  a  diamond,  into  our  hardest  places, 
and  mark  with  ineffaceable  traces  our  characters. 
They  are  the  salient  periods  of  our  Hves  !    the 


6o  Purpose  in  Prayer 

memorial  stones  which  endure  and  to  which  we 
turn. 

Importunity,  it  may  be  repeated,  is  a  condition 
of  prayer.  Wc  are  to  press  the  matter,  not  with 
vain  repetitions,  but  with  urgent  repetitions. 
We  repeat,  not  to  count  the  times,  but  to  gain 
the  prayer.  We  cannot  quit  praying  because 
heart  and  soul  are  in  it.  We  pray  "  with  all  perse- 
verance." We  hang  to  our  prayers  because  by 
them  we  live.  We  press  our  pleas  because  we 
must  have  them  or  die.  Christ  gives  us  two  most 
expressive  parables  to  emphasise  the  necessity  of 
importunity  in  praying.  Perhaps  Abraham  lost 
Sodom  by  failing  to  press  to  the  utmost  his  privilege 
of  praying.  Joash,  we  know,  lost  because  he 
stayed  his  smiting. 

Perseverance  counts  much  with  God  as  well  as 
with  man.  If  Ehjah  had  ceased  at  his  first  petition 
the  heavens  would  have  scarcely  yielded  their  rain 
to  his  feeble  praying.  If  Jacob  had  quit  praying 
at  decent  bedtime  he  would  scarcely  have  sur- 
vived the  next  day's  meeting  with  Esau.  If  the 
Syrophenician  woman  had  allowed  her  faith  to 
faint  by  silence,  humiliation,  repulse,  or  stop  mid-way 
its  struggles,  her  grief-stricken  home  would  never 
have  been  brightened  by  the  healing  of  her  daughter. 

Pray  and  never  faint,  is  the  motto  Christ  gives 
us  for  praying.  It  is  the  test  of  our  faith,  and  the 
severer  the  trial  and  the  longer  the  waiting,  the 
more  glorious  the  results. 


Purpose  in  Prayer  6i 

The  benefits  and  necessity  of  importunity  are 
taught  by  Old  Testament  saints.  Praying  men 
must  be  strong  in  hope,  and  faith,  and  prayer. 
They  must  know  how  to  wait  and  to  press,  to 
wait  on  God  and  be  in  earnest  in  our  approaches 
to  Him. 

Abraham  has  left  us  an  example  of  importunate 
intercession  in  his  passionate  pleading  with  God 
on  behalf  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  and  if,  as  already 
indicated,  he  had  not  ceased  in  his  asking,  per- 
haps God  would  not  have  ceased  in  His  giving. 
"  Abraham  left  off  asking  before  God  left  off 
granting."  Moses  taught  the  power  of  importunity 
when  he  interceded  for  Israel  forty  days  and  forty 
nights,  by  fasting  and  prayer.  And  he  succeeded 
in  his  importunity. 

Jesus,  in  His  teaching  and  example,  illustrated 
and  perfected  this  principle  of  Old  Testament 
pleading  and  waiting.  How  strange  that  the 
only  Son  of  God,  who  came  on  a  mission  direct 
from  His  Father,  whose  only  heaven  on  earth, 
whose  only  hfe  and  law  were  to  do  His  Father's 
will  in  that  mission-— what  a  mystery  that  He 
should  be  under  the  law  of  prayer,  that  the  blessings 
which  came  to  Him  were  impregnated  and  purchased 
by  prayer ;  stranger  still  that  importunity  in 
prayer  was  the  process  by  which  His  wealthiest 
supplies  from  God  were  gained.  Had  He  not 
prayed  with  importunity,  no  transfiguration  would 
have  been  in  His    history,    no  mighty  works   had 


6i  Purpose  in  Prayer 

rendered  Divine  His  career.  His  all-night  praying 
was  that  which  filled  with  compassion  and  power 
His  all-day  work.  The  importunate  praying  of 
His  life  crowned  His  death  with  its  triumph.  He 
learned  the  high  lesson  of  submission  to  God's 
will  in  the  struggles  of  importunate  prayer  before 
He  illustrated  that  submission  so  sublimely  on 
the  cross. 

"  Whether  we  like  it  or  not,"  said  Mr.  Spurgeon, 
"  asking  is  the  rule  of  the  kingdom.  *  Ask,  and  ye 
shall  receive.'  It  is  a  rule  that  never  will  be  altered 
in  anybody's  case.  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  the 
elder  brother  of  the  family,  but  God  has  not  relaxed 
the  rule  for  Him.  Remember  this  text :  Jehovah 
says  to  His  own  Son,  '  Ask  of  Me,  and  I  will  give 
Thee  the  heathen  for  Thine  inheritance,  and  the 
uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  Thy  possession.' 
If  the  Royal  and  Divine  Son  of  God  cannot  be 
exempted  from  the  rule  of  asking  that  He  may 
have,  you  and  I  cannot  expect  the  rule  to  be  relaxed 
in  our  favour.  Why  should  it  be  ?  What  reason 
can  be  pleaded  why  we  should  be  exempted  from 
prayer  ?  What  argument  can  there  be  why  we 
should  be  deprived  of  the  privilege  and  delivered 
from  the  necessity  of  supplication  ?  I  can  see  none  : 
can  you  ?  God  will  bless  Elijah  and  send  rain  on 
Israel,  but  Elijah  must  pray  for  it.  If  the  chosen 
nation  is  to  prosper,  Samuel  must  plead  for  it.  If 
the  Jews  are  to  be  delivered,  Daniel  must  intercede. 
God  will  bless  Paul,  and  the  nations  shall  be  con- 


Purpose  in  Prayer  63 

verted  through  him,  but  Paul  must  pray.  Pray 
he  did  without  ceasing  ;  his  epistles  show  that  he 
expected  nothing  except  by  asking  for  it.  If  you 
may  have  everything  by  asking,  and  nothing 
without  asking,  I  beg  you  to  see  how  absolutely 
vital  prayer  is,  and  I  beseech  you  to  abound  in  it." 

There  is  not  the  least  doubt  that  much  of  our 
praying  fails  for  lack  of  persistency.  It  is  without 
the  fire  and  strength  of  perseverance.  Persistence 
is  of  the  essence  of  true  praying.  It  may  not  be 
alwa3^s  called  into  exercise,  but  it  must  be  there  as 
the  reserve  force.  Jesus  taught  that  perseverance  is 
the  essential  element  of  prayer.  Men  must  be  in 
earnest  when  they  kneel  at  God's  footstool. 

Too  often  we  get  faint-hearted  and  quit  praying 
at  the  point  where  we  ought  to  begin.  We  let  go 
at  the  very  point  where  we  should  hold  on  strongest. 
Our  prayers  are  weak  because  they  are  not 
impassioned  by  an  unfailing  and  resistless  will. 

God  loves  the  importunate  pleader,  and  sends 
him  answers  that  would  never  have  been  granted 
but  for  the  persistency  that  refuses  to  let  go  until 
the  petition  craved  for  is  granted. 


/  suspect  I  have  been  allotting  habitually  too  little  time  to 
religious  exercises  as  private  devotion,  religious  meditation. 
Scripture  reading,  etc.  Hence  I  am  lean  and  cold  and  hard. 
God  would  perhaps  prosper  me  more  in  spiritual  things  if  I 
were  to  be  more  diligent  in  using  the  means  of  grace.  I  had 
better  allot  more  time,  say  two  hours  or  an  hour  and  a  half, 
to  religious  exercises  daily,  and  try  w}^ether  by  so  doing  I  cannot 
preserve  a  frame  of  spirit  more  habitually  devotional,  a  more 
lively  sense  of  unseen  things,  a  liavmer  love  to  God,  and  a 
greater  degree  of  hunger  and  ihirst  after  righteousness,  a 
heart  less  prone  to  be  soiled  with  worldly  cares,  designs,  passions, 
and  apprehension  and  a  real  undissembled  longing  for  heaven, 
its  pleasures  and  its  purity. — William  Wilberforce. 


VII 

"  Men  ought  always  to  pray,  and  not  to  faint." 
The  words  are  the  words  of  our  Lord,  who  not  only 
ever  sought  to  impress  upon  His  followers  the  urgency 
and  the  importance  of  prayer,  but  set  them  an 
example  which  they  alas  !  have  been  far  too  slow 
to  copy. 

The  always  speaks  for  itself.  Prayer  is  not  a 
meaningless  function  or  duty  to  be  crowded  into 
the  busy  or  the  weary  ends  of  the  day,  and  we  are 
not  obeying  our  Lord's  command  when  we  content 
ourselves  with  a  few  minutes  upon  our  knees  in 
the  morning  rush  or  late  at  night  when  the  faculties, 
tired  with  the  tasks  of  the  day,  call  out  for  rest. 
God  is  always  within  call,  it  is  true  ;  His  ear  is  ever 
attentive  to  the  cry  of  His  child,  but  we  can  never 
get  to  know  Him  if  we  use  the  vehicle  of  prayer 
as  we  use  the  telephone — for  a  few  words  of  hurried 
conversation.  Intimacy  requires  development. 
We  can  never  know  God  as  it  is  our  privilege  to 
know  Him,  by  brief  and  fragmentary  and 
unconsidered  repetitions  of  intercessions  that  are 
requests  for  personal  favours  and  nothing  more. 
5  65 


66  Purpose  in  Prayer 

That  is  not  the  way  in  which  we  can  come  into 
communication  with  heaven's  King.  '*  The  goal  of 
prayer  is  the  ear  of  God,"  a  goal  that  can  only  be 
reached  by  patient  and  continued  and  continuous 
waiting  upon  Him,  pouring  out  our  heart  to  Him 
and  permitting  Him  to  speak  to  us.  Only  by  so 
doing  can  we  expect  to  know  Him,  and  as  we  come 
to  know  Him  better  we  shall  spend  more  time  in 
His  presence  and  find  that  presence  a  constant  and 
ever-increasing  delight. 

Always  does  not  mean  that  we  are  to  neglect 
the  ordinary  duties  of  life  ;  what  it  means  is  that 
the  soul  which  has  come  into  intimate  contact  with 
God  in  the  silence  of  the  prayer-chamber  is  never 
out  of  conscious  touch  with  the  Father,  that  the 
heart  is  always  going  out  to  Him  in  loving  com- 
munion, and  that  the  moment  the  mind  is  released 
from  the  task  upon  which  it  is  engaged  it  returns 
as  naturally  to  God  as  the  bird  does  to  its  nest. 
What  a  beautiful  conception  of  prayer  we  get  if 
we  regard  it  in  this  light,  if  we  view  it  as  a  constant 
fellowship,  an  unbroken  audience  with  the  King. 
Prayer  then  loses  every  vestige  of  dread  which  it 
may  once  have  possessed  ;  we  regard  it  no  longer 
as  a  duty  which  must  be  performed,  but  rather  as 
a  privilege  which  is  to  be  enjoyed,  a  rare  delight 
that  is  always  revealing  some  new  beauty. 

Thus,  when  we  open  our  eyes  in  the  morning,  our 
thought  instantly  moimts  heavenward.  To  many 
Christians  the  morning  hours  are  the  most  precious 


Purpose  in  Prayer  67 

portion  of  the  day,  because  they  provide  the  oppor- 
tunity for  the  hallowed  fellowship  that  gives  the 
keynote  to  the  day's  programme.  And  what  better 
introduction  can  there  be  to  the  never-ceasing 
glory  and  wonder  of  a  new  day  than  to  spend  it 
alone  with  God  ?  It  is  said  that  Mr.  Moody,  at  a 
time  when  no  other  place  was  available,  kept  his 
morning  watch  in  the  coal-shed,  pouring  out  his 
heart  to  God,  and  finding  in  his  precious  Bible  a 
true  "  feast  of  fat  things." 

George  Miiller  also  combined  Bible  study  with 
prayer  in  the  quiet  morning  hours.  At  one  time 
his  practice  was  to  give  himself  to  prayer,  after 
having  dressed,  in  the  morning.  Then  his  plan 
underwent  a  change.  As  he  himself  put  it :  "I 
saw  the  most  important  thing  I  had  to  do  was  to 
give  myself  to  the  reading  of  the  Word  of  God,  and 
to  meditation  on  it,  that  thus  my  heart  might 
be  comforted,  encouraged,  warned,  reproved, 
instructed  ;  and  that  thus,  by  means  of  the  Word  of 
God,  whilst  meditating  on  it,  my  heart  might  be 
brought  into  experimental  communion  with  the 
Lord.  I  began,  therefore,  to  meditate  on  the  New 
Testament  early  in  the  morning.  The  first  thing  I 
did,  after  having  asked  in  a  few  words  for  the  Lord's 
blessing  upon  his  precious  Word,  was  to  begin  to 
meditate  on  the  Word  of  God,  searching,  as  it  were, 
into  every  verse  to  get  blessing  out  of  it ;  not  for  the 
sake  of  the  public  ministry  of  the  Word,  not  for  the 
sake  of  preaching  on  what  I  had  meditated  on,  but 


68  Purpose  in  Prayer 

for  the  sake  of  obtaining  food  for  my  own  soul. 
The  result  I  have  found  to  be  almost  invariably 
thus,  that  after  a  very  few  minutes  my  soul  has 
been  led  to  confession,  or  to  thanksgiving,  or  to 
intercession,  or  to  supplication ;  so  that,  though  I 
did  not,  as  it  were,  give  myself  to  prayer,  but  to 
meditation,  yet  it  turned  almost  immediately  more 
or  less  into  prayer." 

The  study  of  the  Word  and  prayer  go  together, 
and  where  we  find  the  one  truly  practised,  the  other 
is  sure  to  be  seen  in  close  alliance. 

But  we  do  not  pray  always.  That  is  the  trouble 
with  so  many  of  us.  We  need  to  pray  much  more 
than  we  do  and  much  longer  than  we  do. 

Robert  Murray  McCheyne,  gifted  and  saintly, 
of  whom  it  was  said,  that  "  Whether  viewed  as  a 
son,  a  brother,  a  friend,  or  a  pastor,  he  was  the 
most  faultless  and  attractive  exhibition  of  the  true 
Christian  they  had  ever  seen  embodied  in  a  living 
form,"  knew  what  it  was  to  spend  much  time  upon 
his  knees,  and  he  never  wearied  in  urging  upon 
others  the  joy  and  the  value  of  holy  intercession. 
"  God's  children  should  pray,"  he  said.  *'  They 
should  crj''  day  and  night  unto  Him,  God  hears 
every  one  of  your  cries  in  the  busy  hour  of  the 
daytime  and  in  the  lonely  watches  of  the  night." 
In  every  way,  by  preaching,  by  exhortation  when 
present  and  by  letters  when  absent,  McCheyne 
emphasised  the  vital  duty  of  prayer,  importunate 
and  unceasing  prayer. 


Purpose  in  Prayer  69 

In  his  diary  we  find  this :  "In  the  morning  was 
engaged  in  preparing  the  head,  then  the  heart. 
This  has  been  frequently  my  error,  and  I  have 
always  felt  the  evil  of  it,  especially  in  prayer. 
Reform  it  then,  O  Lord."  While  on  his  trip  to  the 
Holy  Land  he  wrote  :  '*  For  much  of  our  safety 
I  feel  indebted  to  the  prayers  of  my  people.  If  the 
veil  of  the  world's  machinery  were  Hfted  off  how 
much  we  would  find  done  in  answer  to  the  prayers 
of  God's  children.  In  an  ordination  sermon  he 
said  to  the  preacher :  "  Give  yourself  to  prayers 
and  the  ministry  of  the  Word.  If  you  do  not  pray, 
God  will  probably  lay  you  aside  from  your  ministry, 
as  He  did  me,  to  teach  you  to  pray.  Remember 
Luther's  maxim,  '  To  have  prayed  well  is  to  have 
studied  well.'  Get  your  texts  from  God,  your 
thoughts,  your  words.  Carry  the  names  of  the 
little  flock  upon  your  breast  Hke  the  High  Priest. 
Wrestle  for  the  unconverted.  Luther  spent  his 
last  three  hours  in  prayer  ;  John  Welch  prayed  seven 
or  eight  hours  a  day.  He  used  to  keep  a  plaid  on 
his  bed  that  he  might  wrap  himself  in  when  he 
rose  during  the  night.  Sometimes  his  wife  found 
him  on  the  ground  lying  weeping.  When  she 
complained,  he  would  say,  *  0,  woman,  I  have  the 
souls  of  three  thousand  to  answer  for,  and  I  know  not 
how  it  is  with  many  of  them.' "  The  people  he 
exhorted  and  charged  :  "  Pray  for  your  pastor. 
Pray  for  his  body,  that  he  may  be  kept  strong  and 
spared  many  years.    Pray  for  his  soul,  that  he  may 


70  Purpose  in  Prayer 

be  kept  humble  and  holy,  a  burning  and  shining 
light.  Pray  for  his  ministry,  that  it  may  be 
abundantly  blessed,  that  he  may  be  anointed  to 
preach  good  tidings,  Let  there  be  no  secret  prayer 
without  naming  him  before  your  God,  no  family 
prayer  without  carrying  your  pastor  in  your  hearts 
to  God." 

"Two  things,"  says  his  biographer,  "  he  seems 
never  to  have  ceased  from — the  cultivation  of 
personal  holiness  and  the  most  anxious  efforts  to 
win  souls."  The  two  are  the  inseparable  attendants 
on  the  ministry  of  prayer.  Prayer  fails  when  the 
desire  and  effort  for  personal  holiness  fail.  No 
person  is  a  soul-winner  who  is  not  an  adept  in  the 
ministry  of  prayer.  "  It  is  the  duty  of  ministers," 
says  this  holy  man,  "  to  begin  the  reformation  of 
religion  and  manner  with  themselves,  families,  etc., 
with  confession  of  past  sin,  earnest  prayer  for 
direction,  grace  and  full  purpose  of  heart."  He 
begins  with  himself  under  the  head  of  "  Reformation 
in  Secret  Prayer,"  and  he  resolves  : 

"  I  ought  not  to  omit  any  of  the  parts  of  prayer — 
confession,  adoration,  thanksgiving,  petition  and 
intercession.  There  is  a  fearful  tendency  to  omit 
confession  proceeding  from  low  views  of  God  and 
His  law,  slight  views  of  my  heart,  and  the  sin  of 
my  past  life.  This  must  be  resisted.  There  is  a 
constant  tendency  to  omit  adoration  when  I  forget 
to  Whom  I  am  speaking,  when  I  rush  heedlessly  into 
the  presence  of  Jehovah  without  thought  of  His 


Purpose  in  Prayer  71 

awful  name  and  character.  When  I  have  Httle 
eyesight  for  his  glory,  and  little  admiration  of  His 
wonders,  I  have  the  native  tendency  of  the  heart 
to  omit  giving  thanks,  and  yet  it  is  specially 
commanded.  Often  when  the  heart  is  dead  to  the 
salvation  of  others  I  omit  intercession,  and  yet  it 
especially  is  the  spirit  of  the  great  Advocate  Who 
has  the  name  of  Israel  on  His  heart.  I  ought  to 
pray  before  seeing  anyone.  Often  when  I  sleep  long, 
or  meet  with  others  early,  and  then  have  family 
prayer  and  breakfast  and  forenoon  callers,  it  is 
eleven  or  twelve  o'clock  before  I  begin  secret  prayer. 
This  is  a  wretched  system ;  it  is  unscriptural. 
Christ  rose  before  day  and  went  into  a  solitary 
place.  David  says,  *  Early  will  I  seek  Thee ;  Thou 
shalt  early  hear  my  voice.'  Mary  Magdalene  came 
to  the  sepulchre  while  it  was  yet  dark.  Family 
prayer  loses  much  of  its  power  and  sweetness ; 
and  I  can  do  no  good  to  those  who  come  to  seek 
from  me.  The  conscience  feels  guilty,  the  soul 
unfed,  the  lamp  not  trimmed.  I  feel  it  is  far  better 
to  begin  with  God,  to  see  His  face  first,  to  get  my 
soul  near  Him  before  it  is  near  another.  '  When 
I  awake  I  am  still  with  Thee.'  If  I  have  slept  too 
long,  or  I  am  going  an  early  journey,  or  my  time 
is  in  any  way  shortened,  it  is  best  to  dress  hurriedly 
and  have  a  few  minutes  alone  with  God  than  to 
give  up  all  for  lost.  But  in  general  it  is  best  to 
have  at  least  one  hour  alone  with  God  before  engaging 
in  anything  else.     I  ought  to  spend  the  best  hours 


72  Purpose  in  Prayer 

of  the  day  in  communion  with  God.  When  I 
awake  in  the  night,  I  ought  to  rise  and  pray  as 
David  and  John  Welch." 

McCheyne  beheved  in  being  always  in  prayer,  and 
his  fruitful  life,  short  though  that  life  was,  affords 
an  illustration  of  the  power  that  comes  from  long 
and  frequent  visits  to  the  secret  place  where  we 
keep  tryst  with  our  Lord. 

Men  of  McCheyne's  stamp  are  needed  to-day — 
praying  men,  who  know  how  to  give  themselves  to 
the  greatest  task  demanding  their  time  and  their 
attention  ;  men  who  can  give  their  whole  heart  to 
the  holy  task  of  intercession,  men  who  can  pray 
through.  God's  cause  is  committed  to  men  ;  God 
commits  Himself  to  men.  Praying  men  are  the 
vicegerents  of  God ;  they  do  His  work  and  carry 
out  His  plans. 

We  are  obliged  to  pray  if  we  be  citizens  of 
God's  Kingdom.  Prayerlessness  is  expatriation,  or 
worse,  from  God's  Kingdom.  It  is  outlawry,  a 
high  crime,  a  constitutional  breach.  The  Christian 
who  relegates  prayer  to  a  subordinate  place  in  his 
life  soon  loses  whatever  spiritual  zeal  he  may  have 
once  possessed,  and  the  Church  that  makes  little  of 
prayer  cannot  maintain  vital  piety,  and  is  powerless 
to  advance  the  Gosp)el.  The  Gospel  cannot  live, 
fight,  conquer  without  prayer — prayer  unceasing, 
instant  and  ardent. 

Little  prayer  is  the  characteristic  of  a  backslidden 
age  and  of  a  backslidden  Church.    Whenever  there 


Purpose  in  Prayer  73 

is  little  praying  in  the  pulpit  or  in  the  pew,  spiritual 
bankruptcy  is  imminent  and  inevitable. 

The  cause  of  God  has  no  commercial  age,  no 
cultiured  age,  no  age  of  education,  no  age  of  money. 
But  it  has  one  golden  age,  and  that  is  the  age  of 
prayer.  When  its  leaders  are  men  of  prayer,  when 
prayer  is  the  prevaiUng  element  of  worship,  Uke  the 
incense  giving  continual  fragrance  to  its  service, 
then  the  cause  of  God  will  be  triumphant. 

Better  praying  and  more  of  it,  that  is  what  we  need. 
We  need  holier  men,  and  more  of  them,  holier 
women,  and  more  of  them  to  pray — women  like 
Hannah,  who,  out  of  their  greatest  griefs  and 
temptations  brewed  their  greatest  prayers.  Through 
prayer  Hannah  found  her  relief.  Everywhere  the 
Church  was  backslidden  and  apostate,  her  foes  were 
victorious.  Hannah  gave  herself  to  prayer,  and  in 
sorrow  she  multiplied  her  praying.  She  saw  a 
great  revival  bom  of  her  praying.  When  the  whole 
nation  was  oppressed,  prophet  and  priest,  Samuel 
was  bom  to  establish  a  new  line  of  priesthood,  and 
her  praying  warmed  into  life  a  new  life  for  God. 
Everywhere  rehgion  revived  and  flourished.  God, 
true  to  His  promise,  "Ask  of  Me,"  though  the 
pra5dng  came  from  a  woman's  broken  heart,  heard 
and  answered,  sending  a  new  day  of  holy  gladness  to 
revive  His  people. 

So  once  more,  let  us  apply  the  emphasis  and 
repeat  that  the  great  need  of  the  Church  in  this  and 
all  ages  is  men  of  such  commanding  faith,  of  such 


74  Purpose  in  Prayer 

unsullied  holiness,  of  such  marKed  spiritual  vigour 
and  consuming  zeal,  that  they  will  work  spiritual 
revolutions  through  their  mighty  praying. 
'*  Natural  ability  and  educational  advantages  do 
not  figure  as  factors  in  this  matter  ;  but  a  capacity 
for  faith,  the  ability  to  pray,  the  power  of  a 
thorough  consecration,  the  ability  of  self-littleness, 
an  absolute  losing  of  one's  self  in  God's  glory  and 
an  ever  present  and  insatiable  yearning  and  seeking 
after  all  the  fulness  of  God.  Men  who  can  set  the 
Church  ablaze  for  God,  not  in  a  noisy,  showy  way, 
but  with  an  intense  and  quiet  heat  that  melts  and 
moves  every  thing  for  God." 

And,  to  return  to  the  vital  point,  secret  praying 
is  the  test,  the  gauge,  the  conserver  of  man's  relation 
to  God.  The  prayer-chamber,  while  it  is  the  test 
of  the  sincerity  of  our  devotion  to  God,  becomes 
also  the  measure  of  the  devotion.  The  self-denial, 
the  sacrifices  which  we  make  for  our  prayer-chambers, 
the  frequency  of  our  visits  to  that  hallowed  place 
of  meeting  with  the  Lord,  the  lingering  to  stay,  the 
loathness  to  leave,  are  values  which  we  put  on 
communion  alone  with  God,  the  price  we  pay  for 
the  Spirit's  trysting  hours  of  heavenly  love. 

The  prayer-chamber  conserves  our  relation  to  God. 
It  hems  every  raw  edge  ;  it  tucks  up  every  flowing 
and  entangling  garment ;  girds  up  every  fainting 
loin.  The  sheet-anchor  holds  not  the  ship  more 
surely  and  safely  than  the  prayer-chamber  holds  to 
God.    Satan  has  to  break  our  hold  on,  and  close 


Purpose  in  Prayer  75 

up  our  way  to  the  prayer-chambers,  ere  he  can  break 
our  hold  on  God  or  close  up  our  way  to  heaven. 

"  Be  not  afraid  to  pray  ;    to  pray  is  right  ; 

Pray  if  thou  canst  with  hope,  but  ever  pray, 
Though  hope  be  weak  or  sick  with  long  delay  ; 

Pray  in  the  darkness  if  there  be  no  light ; 
And  if  for  any  wish  thou  dare  not  pray 

Then  pray  to  God  to  cast  that  wish  away." 


In  God's  name  I  beseech  you  let  prayer  nourish  your  soul 
as  your  meals  nourish  your  body.  Let  your  fixed  seasons  of 
prayer  keep  you  in  God's  presence  through  the  day,  and  His 
presence  frequently  remembered  through  it  be  an  ever-fresh 
spring  of  prayer.  Such  a  brief,  loving  recollection  of  God 
renews  a  man's  whole  being,  quiets  his  passions,  supplies  light 
and  counsel  in  difficulty,  gradually  subdues  the  temper,  and 
causes  him  to  possess  his  soul  in  patience,  or  rather  gives  it 
up  to  the  possession  of  God. — F^nelon. 

Devoted  too  much  time  and  attention  to  outward  and  public 
duties  of  the  ministry.  But  this  has  a  mistaken  conduct, 
for  I  have  learned  that  neglect  of  much  and  fervent  communion 
with  God  in  meditation  and  prayer  is  not  the  way  to  redeem 
the  time  nor  to  fit  me  for  public  ministrations. 

I  rightly  attribute  my  present  deadness  to  want  of  sufficient 
time  and  tranquillity  for  private  devotion.  Want  of  more 
reading,  retirement  and  private  devotion,  I  have  little  mastery 
over  my  own  tempers.  An  unhappy  day  to  me  for  want  of 
more  solitude  and  prayer.  If  there  be  anything  I  do,  if  there 
be  anything  I  leave  undone,  let  me  be  perfect  in  prayer. 

After  all,  whatever  God  may  appoint,  prayer  is  the  great 
thing.     Oh  thai  I  may  be  a  man  of  prayer  ! — Henry  Martyn. 


VIII 

That  the  men  had  quit  praying  in  Paul's  time  we 
cannot  certainly  affirm.  They  have,  in  the  main, 
quit  praying  now.  They  are  too  busy  to  pray. 
Time  and  strength  and  every  faculty  are  laid  under 
tribute  to  money,  to  business,  to  the  affairs  of  the 
world.  Few  men  lay  themselves  out  in  great 
praying.  The  great  business  of  praying  is  a 
hurried,  petty,  starved,  beggarly  business  with 
most  men. 

St.  Paul  calls  a  halt,  and  lays  a  levy  on  men  for 
prayer.  Put  the  men  to  praying  is  Paul's  unfaiHng 
remedy  for  great  evils  in  Church,  in  State,  in  politics, 
in  business,  in  home.  Put  the  men  to  praying, 
then  pohtics  will  be  cleansed,  business  will  be 
thriftier,  the  Church  will  be  holier,  the  home  will 
be  sweeter. 

"  I  exhort,  therefore,  first  of  all,  that  supplications, 
prayers,  intercessions,  thanksgivings,  be  made  for 
all  men ;  for  kings  and  all  that  are  in  high  place ; 
that  we  may  lead  a  tranquil  and  quiet  Ufe  in  all 
godliness  and  gravity.  This  is  good  and  acceptable 
in  the  sight  of  God  our  Saviour. ...  I  desire,  therefore, 
that  the  men  pray  in  every  place,  lifting  up  holy 

77 


78  Purpose  in  Prayer 

hands,  without  wrath  and  disputing  (i  Timothy 

ii.  1-3,  8). 

Praying  women  and  children  are  invaluable  to 
God,  but  if  their  praying  is  not  supplemented  by 
praying  men,  there  will  be  a  great  loss  in  the  power 
of  prayer — a  great  breach  and  depreciation  in  the 
value  of  prayer,  great  paralysis  in  the  energy  of  the 
Gospel.  Jesus  Christ  spake  a  parable  unto  the 
people,  telling  them  that  men  ought  always  to 
pray  and  not  faint.  Men  who  are  strong  in  every- 
thing else  ought  to  be  strong  in  prayer,  and  never 
yield  to  discouragement,  weakness  or  depression. 
Men  who  are  brave,  persistent,  redoubtable  in 
other  pursuits  ought  to  be  full  of  courage,  unfainting, 
strong-hearted  in  prayer. 

Men  are  to  pray ;  all  men  are  to  pray.  Men,  as 
distinguished  from  women,  men  in  their  strength 
in  their  wisdom.  There  is  an  absolute,  specific 
command  that  the  men  pray ;  there  is  an  absolute 
imperative  necessity  that  men  pray.  The  first  of 
beings,  man,  should  also  be  first  in  prayer. 

The  men  are  to  pray  for  men.  The  direction  is 
specific  and  classified.  Just  underneath  we  have 
a  specific  direction  with  regard  to  women.  About 
prayer,  its  importance,  wideness  and  practice 
the  Bible  here  deals  with  the  men  in  contrast  to, 
and  distinct  from,  the  women.  The  men  are 
definitely  commanded,  seriously  charged,  and 
warmly  exhorted  to  pray.  Perhaps  it  was  that 
men  were  averse  to  prayer,  or  indifferent  to  it ; 


Purpose  in  Prayer  79 

it  may  be  that  they  deemed  it  a  small  thing,  and 
gave  to  it  neither  time  nor  value  nor  significance. 
But  God  would  have  all  men  pray,  and  so  the  great 
Apostle  lifts  the  subject  into  prominence  and 
emphasises  its  importance. 

For  prayer  is  of  transcendent  importance. 
Prayer  is  the  mightiest  agent  to  advance  God's 
work.  Praying  hearts  and  hands  only  can  do 
God's  work.  Prayer  succeeds  when  all  else  fails. 
Prayer  has  won  great  victories,  and  rescued,  with 
notable  triumph,  God's  saints  when  every  other 
hope  was  gone.  Men  who  know  how  to  pray 
are  the  greatest  boon  God  can  give  to  earth — 
they  are  the  richest  gift  earth  can  offer  heaven. 
Men  who  know  how  to  use  this  weapon  of  prayer 
are  God's  best  soldiers,  His  mightiest  leaders. 

Praying  men  are  God's  chosen  leaders.  The 
distinction  between  the  leaders  that  God  brings 
to  the  front  to  lead  and  bless  His  people,  and  those 
leaders  who  owe  their  position  of  leadership  to  a 
worldly,  selfish,  unsanctified  selection,  is  this,  God's 
leaders  are  pre-eminently  men  of  prayer.  This 
distinguishes  them  as  the  simple.  Divine  attestation 
of  their  call,  the  seal  of  their  separation  by  God. 
Whatever  of  other  graces  or  gifts  they  may  have,  the 
gift  and  grace  of  prayer  towers  above  them  all. 
In  whatever  else  they  may  share  or  differ,  in  the 
gift  of  prayer  they  are  one. 

What  would  God's  leaders  be  without  prayer  ? 
Strip  Moses  of  his  power  in  prayer,  a  gift  that 


So  Purpose  in  Prayer 

made  him  eminent  in  pagan  estimate,  and  the 
crown  is  taken  from  his  head,  the  food  and  fire  of 
his  faith  are  gone.  EHjah,  without  his  praying-, 
would  have  neither  record  nor  place  in  the  Divine 
legation,  his  life  insipid,  cowardly,  its  energy, 
defiance  and  fire  gone.  Without  Elijah's  praying 
the  Jordan  would  never  have  yielded  to  the  stroke 
of  his  mantle,  nor  would  the  stern  angel  of  death 
have  honoured  him  with  the  chariot  and  horses 
of  fire.  The  argument  that  God  used  to  quiet 
the  fears  and  convince  Ananias  of  Paul's  condition 
and  sincerity  is  the  epitome  of  his  history,  the 
solution  of  his  hfe  and  work — "  Behold  he  prayeth.'' 

Paul,  Luther,  Wesley — what  would  these  chosen 
ones  of  God  be  without  the  distinguishing  and 
controlling  element  of  prayer  ?  They  were  leaders 
for  God  because  mighty  in  prayer.  They  were 
not  leaders  because  of  brilliancy  in  thought,  because 
exhaustless  in  resources,  because  of  their  magnificent 
culture  or  native  endowment,  but  leaders  because 
by  the  power  of  prayer  they  could  command  the 
power  of  God.  Praying  men  means  much  more 
than  men  who  say  prayers ;  much  more  than 
men  who  pray  by  habit.  It  means  men  with 
whom  prayer  is  a  mighty  force,  an  energy  that 
moves  heaven  and  pours  untold  treasures  of  good 
on  earth. 

Praying  men  are  the  safety  of  the  Church  from 
the  materiahsm  that  is  affecting  all  its  plans  and 
polity,  and  which  is  hardening  its  life-blood.    The 


Purpose  in  Prayer  8i 

insinuation  circulates  as  a  secret,  deadly  poison 
that  the  Church  is  not  so  dependent  on  purely 
spiritual  forces  as  it  used  to  be — that  changed 
times  and  changed  conditions  have  brought  it 
out  of  its  spiritual  straits  and  dependencies  and 
put  it  where  other  forces  can  bear  it  to  its  climax. 
A  fatal  snare  of  this  kind  has  allured  the  Church 
into  worldly  embraces,  dazzled  her  leaders,  weakened 
her  foundations,  and  shorn  her  of  much  of  her 
beauty  and  strength.  Praying  men  are  the  saviours 
of  the  Church  from  this  material  tendency.  They 
pour  into  it  the  original  spiritual  forces,  Uft  it  off 
the  sand-bars  of  materialism,  and  press  it  out  into 
the  ocean  depths  of  spiritual  power.  Praying 
men  keep  God  in  the  Church  in  full  force  ;  keep  His 
hand  on  the  helm,  and  train  the  Church  in  its 
lessons  of  strength  and  trust. 

The  number  and  efficiency  of  the  labourers  in 
God's  vineyard  in  all  lands  is  dependent  on  the 
men  of  prayer.  The  mightiness  of  these  men  of 
prayer  increases,  by  the  divinely  arranged  process, 
the  number  and  success  of  the  consecrated  labours. 
Prayer  opens  wide  their  doors  of  access,  gives 
holy  aptness  to  enter,  and  holy  boldness,  hrmness, 
and  fruitage.  Praying  men  are  needed  in  all 
fields  of  spiritual  labour.  There  is  no  position  in 
the  Church  of  God,  high  or  low,  which  can  be  well 
filled  without  instant  prayer.  No  position  where 
Christians  are  found  that  does  not  demand  the 
full  play  of  a  faith  that  always  prays  and  never 
6 


82  Purpose  in  Prayer 

faints.  Praying  men  are  needed  in  the  house  of 
business,  as  well  as  in  the  house  of  God,  that  they 
may  order  and  direct  trade,  not  according  to  the 
maxims  of  this  world,  but  according  to  Bible 
precepts  and  the  maxims  of  the  heavenly  life. 

Men  of  prayer  are  needed  especially  in  the 
positions  of  Church  influence,  honour,  and  power. 
These  leaders  of  Church  thought,  of  Church  work, 
and  of  Chmrch  life  should  be  men  of  signal  power 
in  prayer.  It  is  the  praying  heart  that  sanctifies 
the  toil  and  skill  of  the  hands,  and  the  toil  and 
wisdom  of  the  head.  Prayer  keeps  work  in  the 
Une  of  God's  will,  and  keeps  thought  in  the  line  of 
God's  Word.  The  solemn  responsibihties  of 
leadership,  in  a  large  or  limited  sphere,  in  God's 
Church  should  be  so  hedged  about  with  prayer 
that  between  it  and  the  world  there  should  be 
an  impassable  gulf,  so  elevated  and  purified  by 
prayer  that  neither  cloud  nor  night  should  stain 
the  radiance  nor  dim  the  sight  of  a  constant  meridian 
view  of  God.  Many  Church  leaders  seem  to  think 
if  they  can  be  prominent  as  men  of  business,  of 
money,  influence,  of  thought,  of  plans,  of  scholarly 
attainments,  of  eloquent  gifts,  of  taking,  conspicuous 
activities,  that  these  are  enough,  and  will  atone 
for  the  absence  of  the  higher  spiritual  power  which 
much  praying  only  can  give.  But  how  vain  and 
paltry  are  these  in  the  serious  work  of  bringing 
glory  to  God,  controlling  the  Church  for  Him,  and 
bringing  it  into  full  accord  with  its  Divine  mission. 


Purpose  in  Prayer  83 

Pra5^ng  men  are  the  men  that  have  done  so 
much  for  God  in  the  past.  They  are  the  ones  who 
have  won  the  victories  for  God,  and  spoiled  His 
foes.  They  are  the  ones  who  have  set  up  His 
Kingdom  in  the  very  camps  of  His  enemies.  There 
are  no  other  conditions  of  success  in  this  day. 
The  twentieth  century  has  no  reUef  statute  to 
suspend  the  necessity  or  force  of  prayer — no 
substitute  by  which  its  gracious  ends  can  be  secured. 
We  are  shut  up  to  this,  praying  hands  only  can 
build  for  God.  They  are  God's  mighty  ones  on 
earth,  His  master-builders.  They  may  be  destitute 
of  all  else,  but  with  the  wrestlings  and  prevaiHngs 
of  a  simple-hearted  faith  they  are  mighty,  the 
mightiest  for  God.  Church  leaders  may  be  gifted 
in  all  else,  but  without  this  greatest  of  gifts  they 
are  as  Samson  shorn  of  his  locks,  or  as  the  Temple 
without  the  Divine  presence  or  the  Divine  glory, 
and  on  whose  altars  the  heavenly  flame  has  died. 

The  only  protection  and  rescue  from  worldliness 
lie  in  our  intense  and  radical  spirituality  ;  and  our 
only  hope  for  the  existence  and  maintenance  of 
this  high,  saving  spirituaUty,  under  God,  is  in  the 
purest  and  most  aggressive  leadership — a  leader- 
ship that  knows  the  secret  power  of  prayer,  the 
sign  by  which  the  Church  has  conquered,  and 
that  has  conscience,  conviction,  and  courage  to 
hold  her  true  to  her  symbols,  true  to  her  traditions, 
and  true  to  the  hidings  of  her  power.  We  need  this 
prayerful  leadership;  we  must  have  it,  that  by 


84  Purpose  in  Prayer 

the  perfection  and  beauty  of  its  holiness,  by  the 
strength  and  elevation  of  its  taith,  by  the  potency 
and  pressure  of  its  prayers,  by  the  authority  and 
spotlessness  of  its  example,  by  the  fire  and  contagion 
of  its  zeal,  by  the  singularity,  sublimity,  and 
unworldliness  of  its  piety,  it  may  influence  God, 
and  hold  and  mould  the  Church  to  its  heavenly 
pattern. 

Such  leaders,  how  mightily  they  are  felt.  How 
their  flame  arouses  the  Church  !  How  they  stir 
it  by  the  force  of  their  Pentecostal  presence  \  How 
they  embattle  and  give  victory  by  the  conflicts  and 
triumphs  of  their  own  faith  !  How  they  fashion  it 
by  the  impress  and  importunity  of  their  prayers  ! 
How  they  inoculate  it  by  the  contagion  and  fire 
of  their  holiness  !  How  they  lead  the  march  in 
great  spiritual  revolutions !  How  the  Church  is 
raised  from  the  dead  by  the  resurrection  call  of 
their  sermons  !  Holiness  springs  up  in  their  wake 
as  flowers  at  the  voice  of  spring,  and  where  they 
tread  the  desert  blooms  as  the  garden  of  the  Lord. 
God's  cause  demands  such  leaders  along  the  whole 
line  of  official  position  from  subaltern  to  superior. 
How  feeble,  aimless,  or  worldly  are  our  efforts, 
how  demoralised  and  vain  for  God's  work  without 
them  ! 

The  gift  of  these  leaders  is  not  in  the  range  of 
ecclesiastical  power.  They  are  God's  gifts.  Their 
being,  their  presence,  their  number,  and  their 
ability  are  the  tokens  of  His  favour ;    their  lack 


Purpose  in  Prayer  85 

the  sure  sign  of  His  disfavour,  the  presage  of  His 
withdrawal.  Let  the  Church  of  God  be  on  her 
knees  before  the  Lord  of  hosts,  that  He  may  more 
mightily  endow  the  leaders  we  already  have,  and 
put  others  in  rank,  and  lead  all  along  the  line  of 
our  embattled  front. 

The  world  is  coming  into  the  Church  at  many 
points  and  in  many  ways.  It  oozes  in  ;  it  pours 
in  ;  it  comes  in  with  brazen  front  or  soft,  insinuating 
disguise ;  it  comes  in  at  the  top  and  comes  in  at 
the  bottom ;  and  percolates  through  many  a 
hidden  way. 

For  praying  men  and  holy  men  we  are  looking — 
men  whose  presence  in  the  Church  will  make  it 
like  a  censer  of  holiest  incense  flaming  up  to  God. 
With  God  the  man  counts  for  everything.  Rites, 
forms,  organisations  are  of  small  moment ;  unless 
they  are  backed  by  the  holiness  of  the  man  they 
are  offensive  in  His  sight.  "  Incense  is  an  abomi- 
nation unto  Me  ;  the  new  moons  and  sabbaths, 
the  calling  of  assembhes  I  cannot  away  with ; 
it  is  iniquity,  even  the  solemn  meeting." 

Why  does  God  speak  so  strongly  against  His 
own  ordinances  ?  Personal  purity  had  failed.  The 
impure  man  tainted  all  the  sacred  institutions  of 
God  and  defiled  them.  God  regards  the  man 
in  so  important  a  way  as  to  put  a  kind  of  discount 
on  all  else.  Men  have  built  Him  glorious  temples 
and  have  striven  and  exhausted  themslves  to  please 
God  by  all  manner  of  gifts  ;  but  in  lofty  strains  He 


86  Purpose  in  Prayer 

has  rebuked  these  proud  worshippers  and  rejected 
their  princely  gifts. 

"  Heaven  is  My  throne  and  the  earth  is  My 
footstool :  where  is  the  house  that  ye  build  unto 
Me  ?  and  where  is  the  place  of  My  rest  ?  For  all 
those  things  hath  Mine  hand  made,  and  all  those 
things  hath  been,  saith  the  Lord.  He  that  killeth 
an  ox  is  as  if  he  slew  a  man  ;  he  that  sacrificeth 
a  lamb,  as  if  he  cut  off  a  dog's  neck  ;  he  that  offereth 
an  oblation,  as  if  he  offered  swine's  blood  ;  he 
that  bumeth  incense,  as  if  he  blessed  an  idol." 
Turning  away  in  disgust  from  these  costly  and 
profane  offerings.  He  declares :  "  But  to  this 
man  will  I  look,  even  to  him  that  is  poor  and  of  a 
contrite  spirit,  and  trembleth  at  My  word." 

This  truth  that  God  regards  the  personal  purity 
of  the  man  is  fundamental.  This  truth  suffers 
when  ordinances  are  made  much  of  and  forms  of 
worship  multiply.  The  man  and  his  spiritual 
character  depreciate  as  Church  ceremonials  increase. 
The  simplicity  of  worship  is  lost  in  religious  aesthetics, 
or  in  the  gaudiness  of  religious  forms. 

This  truth  that  the  personal  purity  of  the 
individual  is  the  only  thing  God  cares  for  is  lost  sight 
of  when  the  Church  begins  to  estimate  men  for  what 
they  have.  When  the  Church  eyes  a  man's  money, 
Social  standing,  his  belongings  in  any  way,  then 
spiritual  values  are  at  a  fearful  discount,  and  the 
tear  of  penitence,  the  heaviness  of  guilt  are  never 
seen  at  her  portals.    Worldly  bribes  have  opened 


Purpose  in  Prayer  ^y 

and  stained  its  pearly  gates  by  the  entrance  of  the 
impure. 

This  truth  that  God  is  looking  after  personal 
purity  is  swallowed  up  when  the  Church  has  a  greed 
for  numbers.  "  Not  numbers,  but  personal  purity 
is  our  aim,"  said  the  fathers  of  Methodism.  The 
parading  of  Church  statistics  is  mightily  against  the 
grain  of  spiritual  rehgion.  Eyeing  numbers  greatly 
hinders  the  looking  after  personal  purity.  The 
increase  of  quantity  is  generally  at  a  loss  of  quality. 
Bulk  abates  preciousness.  \ 

The    age   of    Church    organisation    and    Church 
machinery  is  not  an  age  noted  for  elevated  and 
strong  personal  piety.    Machinery  looks  for  engineers 
and  organisations  for  generals,  and  not  for  saints, 
to  run  them.    The  simplest  organisation  may  aid 
purity  as  well  as  strength  ;  but  beyond  that  narrow     ' 
limit  organisation  swallows  up  the  individual,  and 
is    careless    of    personal    purity ;     push,    activity, 
enthusiasm,  zeal  for  an  organisation,  come  in  as  the 
vicious  substitutes  for  spiritual  character.     Holiness 
and  all  the  spiritual  graces  of  hardy  culture  and 
slow  growth  are  discarded  as  too  slow  and  too 
costly  for  the  progress  and  rush  of  the  age.    By 
dint  of  machinery,  new  organisations,  and  spiritual     | 
weakness,  results  are  vainly  expected  to  be  secured     ! 
which  can  only  be  secured  by  faith,  prayer,  and  J 
waiting  on  God. 

The  man  and  his  spiritual  character  is  what  God 
is  looking  after.    If  men,  holy  men,  can  be  turned 


88  Purpose  in  Prayer 

out  by  the  easy  processes  of  Church  machinery 
readier  and  better  than  by  the  old-time  processes, 
we  would  gladly  invest  in  every  new  and  improved 
patent ;  but  we  do  not  believe  it.  We  adhere  to 
the  old  way — the  way  the  holy  prophets  went,  the 
king's  highway  of  holiness. 

An  example  of  this  is  afforded  by  the  case  of 
William  Wilber force.  High  in  social  position,  a 
member  of  Parliament,  the  friend  of  Pitt  the 
famous  statesman,  he  was  not  called  of  God  to 
forsake  his  high  social  position  nor  to  quit  Parlia- 
ment, but  he  was  called  to  order  his  life  according 
to  the  pattern  set  by  Jesus  Christ  and  to  give  himself 
to  prayer.  To  read  the  story  of  his  life  is  to  be 
impressed  with  its  holiness  and  its  devotion  to  the 
claims  of  the  quiet  hours  alone  with  God.  His 
conversion  was  announced  to  his  friends — to  Pitt  and 
others — by  letter. 

In  the  beginning  of  his  rehgious  career  he  records  : 
*'  My  chief  reasons  for  a  day  of  secret  prayer  are, 
(i)  That  the  state  of  public  affairs  is  very  critical 
and  calls  for  earnest  deprecation  of  the  Divine 
displeasure.  (2)  My  station  in  hfe  is  a  very  difficult 
one,  wherein  I  am  at  a  loss  to  know  how  to  act. 
Direction,  therefore,  should  be  specially  sought  from 
time  to  time.  (3)  I  have  been  graciously  supported 
in  difficult  situations  of  a  pubhc  nature.  I  have 
gone  out  and  returned  home  in  safety,  and  found  a 
kind  reception  has  attended  me.  I  would  humbly 
hope,  too,  that  what  I  am  now  doing  is  a  proof  that 


Purpose  in  Prayer  89 

God  has  not  withdrawn  His  Holy  Spirit  from  me. 
I  am  covered  with  mercies." 

The  recurrence  of  his  birthday  led  him  again  to 
review  his  situation  and  employment.  "  I  find," 
he  wrote,  "  that  books  alienate  my  heart  from 
God  as  much  as  anything.  I  have  been  framing  a 
plan  of  study  for  myself,  but  let  me  remember  but 
one  thing  is  needful,  that  if  my  heart  cannot  be 
kept  in  a  spiritual  state  without  so  much  prayer, 
meditation.  Scripture  reading,  etc.,  as  are  incom- 
patible with  study,  I  must  seek  first  the  righteousness 
of  God."  All  were  to  be  surrendered  for  spiritual 
advance.  "  I  fear,"  we  find  him  saying,  "  that  I 
have  not  studied  the  Scriptures  enough.  Surely  in 
the  summer  recess  I  ought  to  read  the  Scriptures 
an  hour  or  two  every  day,  besides  prayer,  devotional 
reading  and  meditation.  God  will  prosper  me 
better  if  I  wait  on  Him.  The  experience  of  all 
good  men  shows  that  without  constant  prayer  and 
watchfulness  the  Hfe  of  God  in  the  soul  stagnates. 
Doddridge's  morning  and  evening  devotions  were 
serious  matters.  Colonel  Gardiner  always  spent 
hours  in  prayer  in  the  morning  before  he  went  forth. 
Bonnell  practised  private  devotions  largely  morning 
and  evening,  and  repeated  Psalms  dressing  and 
undressing  to  raise  his  mind  to  heavenly  things. 
I  would  look  up  to  God  to  make  the  means  effectual. 
I  f^ar  that  my  devotions  are  too  much  hurried, 
that  I  do  not  read  Scripture  enough.  I  must  grow 
in  grace ;   I  must  love  God  more  ;   I  must  feel  the 


90  Purpose  in  Prayer 

power  of  Divine  things  more.  Whether  I  am  more 
or  less  learned  signifies  not.  Whether  even  I  execute 
the  work  which  I  deem  useful  is  comparatively 
imimportant.  But  beware  my  soul  of  luke- 
warmness." 

The  New  Year  began  with  the  Holy  Communion 
and  new  vows.  "  I  will  press  forward,"  he  wrote, 
"  and  labour  to  know  God  better  and  love  Him 
more.  Assuredly  I  may,  because  God  will  give  His 
Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  Him,  and  the  Holy 
Spirit  will  shed  abroad  the  love  of  God  in  the  heart. 
O,  then,  pray,  pray ;  be  earnest,  press  forward  and 
follow  on  to  know  the  Lord.  Without  watchfulness, 
humiliation  and  prayer,  the  sense  of  Divine  things 
must  languish."  To  prepare  for  the  future  he 
said  he  found  nothing  more  effectual  than  private 
prayer  and  the  serious  perusal  of  the  New  Testament. 

And  again :  "I  must  put  down  that  I  have 
lately  too  little  time  for  private  devotions.  I  can 
sadly  confirm  Doddridge's  remark  that  when  we  go 
on  ill  in  the  closet  we  commonly  do  so  everywhere 
else.  I  must  mend  here.  I  am  afraid  of  getting 
into  what  Owen  calls  the  trade  of  sinning  and 
repenting  .  .  .  Lord  help  me,  the  shortening  of 
private  devotions  starves  the  soul ;  it  grows  lean 
and  faint.  This  must  not  be.  I  must  redeem  more 
time.  I  see  how  lean  in  spirit  I  become  without 
full  allowance  of  time  for  private  devotions ;  I 
must  be  careful  to  be  watching  unto  prayer." 

At  another  time  he  puts  on  record  :   "I  must  try 


Purpose  in  Prayer  91 

what  I  long  ago  heard  was  the  rule  of  E the  great 

upholsterer,  who,  when  he  came  from  Bond  Street 
to  his  little  villa,  always  first  retired  to  his  closet. 
I  have  been  keeping  too  late  hours,  and  hence  have 
had  but  a  hurried  half  hour  to  myself.  Surely  the 
experience  of  all  good  men  confirms  the  proposition, 
that  without  due  measure  of  private  devotions, 
the  soul  will  grow  lean.'* 

To  his  son  he  wrote  :  "  Let  me  conjure  you  not  to 
be  seduced  into  neglecting,  curtailing  or  hurrying 
over  your  morning  prayers.  Of  all  things,  guard 
against  neglecting  God  in  "the  closet.  There  is 
nothing  more  fatal  to  the  life  and  power  of  rehgion. 
More  solitude  and  earlier  hours — prayer  three  times 
a  day  at  least.  How  much  better  might  I  serve 
if  I  cultivated  a  closer  communion  with  God." 

Wilberforce  knew  the  secret  of  a  holy  Hfe.  Is 
that  not  where  most  of  us  fail  ?  We  are  so  busy 
with  other  things,  so  immersed  even  in  doing  good 
and  in  carrying  on  the  Lord's  work,  that  we  neglect 
the  quiet  seasons  of  prayer  with  God,  and  before  we 
are  aware  of  it  our  soul  is  lean  and  impoverished. 

*'  One  night  alone  in  prayer,"  says  Spurgeon, 
"  might  make  us  new  men,  changed  from  poverty 
of  soul  to  spiritual  wealth,  from  trembling  to 
triumphing.  We  have  an  example  of  it  in  the  life 
of  Jacob.  Aforetime  the  crafty  shuffler,  always 
bargaining  and  calculating,  unlovely  in  almost 
every  respect,  yet  one  night  in  prayer  turned  the 
supplanter  into    a   prevailing   prince,    and    robed 


92 


Purpose  in  Prayer 


him  with  celestial  grandeur.  From  that  night  he 
lives  on  the  sacred  page  as  one  of  the  nobility  of 
heaven.  Could  not  we,  at  least  now  and  then,  in 
these  weary  earthbound  years,  hedge  about  a  single 
night  for  such  enriching  traffic  with  the  skies  ? 
What,  have  we  no  sacred  ambition  ?  Are  we  deaf  to 
the  yearnings  of  Divine  love  ?  Yet,  my  brethren, 
for  wealth  and  for  science  men  will  cheerfully  quit 
their  warm  couches,  and  cannot  we  do  it  now  and 
again  for  the  love  of  God  and  the  good  of  souls  ? 
WTiere  is  our  zeal,  our  gratitude,  our  sincerity  ?  I 
am  ashamed  while  I  thus  upbraid  both  myself  and 
you.  May  we  often  tarry  at  Jabbok,  and  cry  with 
Jacob,  as  he  grasped  the  angel — 

'  With  thee  all  night  I  mean  to  stay, 
And  wrestle  till  the  break  of  day.' 

Surely,  brethren,  if  we  have  given  whole  days  to 
folly,  we  can  afford  a  space  for  heavenly  wisdom. 
Time  was  when  we  gave  whole  nights  to  chambering 
and  wantonness,  to  dancing  and  the  world's  revelry  ; 
we  did  not  tire  then  ;  we  were  chiding  the  sun  that 
he  rose  so  soon,  and  wishing  the  hours  would  lag 
awhile  that  we  might  delight  in  wilder  merriment 
and  perhaps  deeper  sin.  Oh,  wherefore,  should  we 
weary  in  heavenly  employments  ?  Why  grow  we 
weary  when  asked  to  watch  with  our  Lord  ?  Up, 
sluggish  heart,  Jesus  calls  thee  I  Rise  and  go 
forth  to  meet  the  Heavenly  Friend  in  the  place 
where  He  manifests  Himself." 


Purpose  in  Prayer  93 

We  can  never  expect  to  grow  in  the  likeness  of 
our  Lord  unless  we  follow  His  example  and  give 
more  time  to  communion  with  the  Father.  A 
revival  of  real  praying  would  produce  a  spiritual 
revolution. 


Bear  up  the  hands  that  hang  down,  by  faith  and  prayer  ; 
support  the  tottering  knees.  Have  you  any  days  of  fasting 
and  prayer  ?  Storm  the  throne  of  grace  and  persevere  therein, 
and  mercy  will  come  down. — John  Wesley. 

We  must  remember  that  the  goal  of  prayer  is  the  ear  of 
God.  Unless  that  is  gained  the  prayer  has  utterly  failed. 
The  uttering  of  it  may  have  kindled  devotional  feeling  in 
our  minds,  the  hearing  of  it  may  have  comforted  and  strengthened 
the  hearts  of  those  with  whom  we  have  prayed,  but  if  the  prayer 
has  not  gained  the  heart  of  God,  it  has  failed  in  its  essential 
purpose. 

A  mere  formalist  can  always  pray  so  as  to  please  himself. 
What  has  he  to  do  but  to  open  his  bock  and  read  the  pre- 
scribed words,  or  bow  his  knee  and  repeat  such  phrases  as 
suggest  themselves  to  his  memory  or  his,  fancy  ?  Like  the 
Tartarian  Praying  Machine,  give  but  the  wind  and  the  wheel, 
and  the  business  is  fully  arranged.  So  much  knee-bending 
and  talking,  and  the  prayer  is  done.  The  formalist's  prayers 
are  always  good,  or,  rather,  always  bad,  alike.  Bui  the  living 
child  of  God  never  offers  a  prayer  ivhich  pleases  himself  ;  his 
standard  is  above  his  attainments  ;  he  wonders  that  God 
listens  to  him,  and  though  he  knows  he  will  be  heard  for  Christ's 
sake,  yet  he  accounts  it  a  wonderful  instance  of  condescending 
mercy  that  such  poor  prayers  as  his  should  ever  reach  the 
ears  of  the  Lord  God  of  Sabaoth. — C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


IX 

It  may  be  said  with  emphasis  that  no  lazy  saint 
prays.  Can  there  be  a  lazy  saint  ?  Can  there  be  a 
prayerless  saint  ?  Does  not  slack  pra5dng  cut 
short  sainthood's  crown  and  kingdom  ?  Can  there 
be  a  cowardly  soldier  ?  Can  there  be  a  saintly 
hypocrite  ?  Can  there  be  virtuous  vice  ?  It  is 
only  when  these  impossibilities  are  brought  into 
being  that  we  then  can  find  a  prayerless  saint. 

To  go  through  the  motion  of  praying  is  a  dull 
business,  though  not  a  hard  one.  To  say  prayers 
in  a  decent,  delicate  way  is  not  heavy  work.  But 
to  pray  really,  to  pray  till  hell  feels  the  ponderous 
stroke,  to  pray  till  the  iron  gates  of  difficulty  are 
opened,  tiU  the  mountains  of  obstacles  are  removed, 
till  the  mists  are  exhaled  and  the  clouds  are  lifted, 
and  the  sunshine  of  a  cloudless  day  brightens — 
this  is  hard  work,  but  it  is  God's  work  and  man's 
best  labour.  Never  was  the  toil  of  hand,  head 
and  heart  less  spent  in  vain  than  when  praying. 
It  is  bard  to  wait  and  press  and  pray,  and  hear 
no  voice,  but  stay  till  God  answers.  The  joy  of 
answered  prayer  is  the  joy  of  a  travailing  mother 
when  a  man  child  is  bom  into  the  world,  the  joy 

95 


96  Purpose  in  Prayer 

of  a  slave  whose  chains  have  been  burst  asunder 
and  to  whom  new  life  and  liberty  have  just  come. 

A  bird's-eye  view  of  w^hat  has  been  accomplished 
by  prayer  shows  what  we  lost  when  the  dispensation 
of  real  prayer  was  substituted  by  Pharisaical 
pretence  and  sham  ;  it  shows,  too,  how  imperative 
is  the  need  for  holy  men  and  women  who  will  give 
themselves  to  earnest,  Christlike  praying. 

It  is  not  an  easy  thing  to  pray.  Back  of  the 
praying  there  must  lie  all  the  conditions  of  prayer. 
These  conditions  are  possible,  but  they  are  not  to 
be  seized  on  in  a  moment  by  the  prayerless.  Present 
they  always  may  be  to  the  faithful  and  holy,  but 
cannot  exist  in  nor  be  met  b}^  a  frivolous,  negligent, 
laggard  spirit.  Prayer  does  not  stand  alone.  It 
is  not  an  isolated  performance.  Prayer  stands  in 
closest  connection  with  all  the  duties  of  an  ardent 
piety.  It  is  the  issuance  of  a  character  which  is 
made  up  of  the  elements  of  a  vigorous  and 
commanding  faith.  Prayer  honours  God,  acknow- 
ledges His  being,  exalts  His  power,  adores  His 
providence,  secures  His  aid.  A  sneering  half- 
rationalism  cries  out  against  devotion,  that  it  does 
nothing  but  pray.  But  to  pray  well  is  to  do  all 
things  well.  If  it  be  true  that  devotion  does  nothing 
but  pray,  then  it  does  nothing  at  all.  To  do  nothing 
but  pray  fails  to  do  the  praying,  for  the  antecedent, 
coincident,  and  subsequent  conditions  of  prayer 
are  but  the  sum  of  all  the  energised  forces  of  a 
practical,  working  piety. 


Purpose  in  Prayer  97 

The  possibilities  of  prayer  run  parallel  with  the 
promises  of  God.  Prayer  opens  an  outlet  for  the 
promises,  removes  the  hindrances  in  the  way  of 
their  execution,  puts  them  into  working  order,  and 
secures  their  gracious  ends.  More  than  this,  prayer 
like  faith,  obtains  promises,  enlarges  their  opera- 
tion, and  adds  to  the  measure  of  their  results. 
God's  promises  were  to  Abraham  and  to  his  seed, 
but  many  a  barren  womb,  and  many  a  minor 
obstacle  stood  in  the  way  of  the  fulfilment  of  these 
promises  ;  but  prayer  removed  them  all,  made  a 
highway  for  the  promises,  added  to  the  facility  and 
speediness  of  their  reahsation,  and  by  prayer  the 
promise  shone  bright  and  perfect  in  its  execution. 

The  possibilities  of  prayer  are  found  in  its  allying 
itself  with  the  purposes  of  God,  for  God's  purposes 
and  man's  praying  are  the  combination  of  all  potent 
and  omnipotent  forces.  More  than  this,  the 
possibilities  of  prayer  are  seen  in  the  fact  that  it 
changes  the  purposes  of  God.  It  is  in  the  very 
nature  of  prayer  to  plead  and  give  directions.  >/■ 
Prayer  is  not  a  negation.  It  is  a  positive  force.  It 
never  rebels  against  the  will  of  God,  never  comes 
into  conflict  with  that  will,  but  that  it  does  seek  to 
change  God's  purpose  is  evident.  Christ  said, 
"  The  cup  which  My  Father  hath  given  Me  shall  I 
not  drink  it  ?  "  and  yet  He  had  prayed  that  very 
night,  "  If  it  be  possible  let  this  cup  pass  from  Me." 
Paul  sought  to  change  the  purposes  of  God  about  the 
thorn  in  his  flesh.  God's  purposes  were  fixed  to 
7 


98  Purpose  in  Prayer 

destroy  Israel,  and  the  prayer  of  Moses  changed  the 
purposes  of  God  and  saved  Israel.  In  the  time  of  the 
Judges  Israel  were  apostate  and  greatly  oppressed. 
They  repented  and  cried  unto  God  and  He  said : 
"  Ye  have  forsaken  Me  and  served  other  gods, 
wherefore  I  will  deliver  you  no  more  :  "  but  they 
humbled  themselves,  put  away  their  strange  gods, 
and  God's  "  soul  was  grieved  for  the  misery  of 
Israel,*'  and  he  sent  them  dehverance  by  Jephthah. 

God  sent  Isaiah  to  say  to  Hezekiah,  "  Set  thine 
house  in  order  :  for  thou  shalt  die,  and  not  Uve  ;  " 
and  Hezekiah  prayed,  and  God  sent  Isaiah  back 
to  say,  "  I  have  heard  thy  prayer,  I  have  seen  thy 
tears ;  behold  I  will  add  unto  thy  days  fifteen 
years."  "  Yet  forty  days  and  Nineveh  shall  be 
overthrown,"  was  God's  message  by  Jonah.  But 
Nineveh  cried  mightily  to  God,  and  *'  God  repented 
of  the  evil  that  He  had  said  He  would  do  unto 
them ;    and  He  did  it  not." 

The  possibilities  of  prayer  are  seen  from  the 
divers  conditions  it  reaches  and  the  diverse  ends  it 
secures.  Elijah  prayed  over  a  dead  child,  and  it 
came  to  Hfe ;  EHsha  did  the  same  thing ;  Christ 
prayed  at  Lazarus's  grave,  and  Lazarus  came  forth. 
Peter  kneeled  down  and  prayed  beside  dead  Dorcas, 
and  she  opened  her  eyes  and  sat  up,  and  Peter 
presented  her  alive  to  the  distressed  company. 
Paul  prayed  for  PubUus,  and  healed  him.  Jacob's 
praying  changed  Esau's  murderous  hate  into  the 
kisses  of  the  tenderest  brotherly  embrace.    God 


Purpose  in  Prayer  99 

gave  to  Rebecca  Jacob  and  Esau  because  Isaac 
prayed  for  her.  Joseph  was  the  child  of  Rachel's 
prayers.  Hannah's  praying  gave  Samuel  to  Israel. 
John  the  Baptist  was  given  to  Elizabeth,  barren 
and  past  age  as  she  was,  in  answer  to  the  prayer  of 
Zacharias.  Ehsha's  praying  brought  famine  or 
harvest  to  Israel ;  as  he  prayed  so  it  was.  Ezra's 
pra3dng  carried  the  Spirit  of  God  in  heart-breaking 
conviction  to  the  entire  city  of  Jerusalem,  and 
brought  them  in  tears  of  repentance  back  to  God. 
Isaiah's  praying  carried  the  shadow  of  the  sun 
back  ten  degrees  on  the  dial  of  Ahaz. 

In  answer  to  Hezekiah's  praying  an  angel  slew 
one  himdred  and  eighty-five  thousand  of  Senna- 
cherib's army  in  one  night.  Daniel's  praying  opened 
to  him  the  vision  of  prophecy,  helped  him  to 
administer  the  affairs  of  a  mighty  kingdom,  and 
sent  an  angel  to  shut  the  lions'  niouths.  The 
angel  was  sent  to  Cornelius,  and  the  Gospel  opened 
through  him  to  the  Gentile  world,  because  his 
"  prayers  and  alms  had  come  up  as  a  memorial 
before  God."  "  And  what  shall  I  more  say  ?  for 
th^  time  would  fail  me  to  tell  of  Gideon,  and  of 
Barak,  and  of  Samson,  and  of  Jephthah ;  of  David 
also,  and  Samuel,  and  of  the  prophets ;  "  of  Paul 
and  Peter,  and  John  and  the  Apostles,  and  the 
holy  company  of  saints,  reformers,  and  mart5n:s, 
who,  through  praying,  *'  subdued  kingdoms,  wrought 
righteousness,  obtained  promises,  stopped  the 
mouths  of    Hons,  quenched  the  violence  of  j&re. 


100  Purpose  in  Prayer 

escaped  the  edge  of  the  sword,  out  of  weakness 
were  made  strong,  waxed  valiant  in  fight,  turned 
to  flight  the  armies  of  the  aliens." 

Prayer  puts  God  in  the  matter  with  commanding 
force :  "  Ask  of  Me  things  to  come  concerning 
My  sons,"  says  God,  "  and  concerning  the  work 
of  My  hands  command  ye  Me."  We  are  charged 
in  God's  Word  "  always  to  pray,"  '*  in  everything 
by  prayer,"  "  continuing  instant  in  prayer,"  to 
*'  pray  everj^where,"  "  praying  always."  The 
promise  is  as  illimitable  as  the  command  is  compre- 
hensive. **  All  things  whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  in 
prayer,  believing,  ye  shall  receive,"  "  whatever 
ye  shall  ask,"  "  if  ye  shall  ask  anything."  "  Ye 
shall  ask  what  ye  will  and  it  shall  be  done  unto 
you."  "  Whatsoever  ye  ask  the  Father  He  will 
give  it  to  you."  If  there  is  anything  not  involved 
in  "All  things  whatsoever,"  or  not  found  in  the 
phrase  "  Ask  anything,"  then  these  things  may 
be  left  out  of  prayer.  Language  could  not  cover  a 
wider  range,  nor  involve  more  fully  all  minutia. 
These  statements  are  but  samples  of  the  all- 
comprehending  possibilities  of  prayer  under  the 
promises  of  God  to  those  who  meet  the  conditions 
of  right  praying. 

These  passages,  though,  give  but  a  general 
outline  of  the  immense  regions  over  which  prayer 
extends  its  sway.  Beyond  these  the  effects  of 
prayer  reaches  and  secures  good  from  regions 
which  cannot  be  traversed  by  language  or  thought. 


Purpose  in  Prayer  ioi 

Paul  exhausted  language  and  thought  in  prajdng, 
but  conscious  of  necessities  not  covered  and  realms 
of  good  not  reached  he  covers  these  impenetrable 
and  undiscovered  regions  by  this  general  plea, 
"  unto  Him  that  is  able  to  do  exceeding  abundantly 
above  all  that  we  ask  or  think,  according  to  the 
power  that  worketh  in  us."  The  promise  is,  "  Call 
upon  Me,  and  I  will  answer  thee,  and  show  thee 
great  and  mighty  things,  which  thou  knowest 
not." 

James  declares  that  "  the  effectual,  fervent 
prayer  of  a  righteous  man  availeth  much."  How 
much  he  could  not  tell,  but  illustrates  it  by  the 
power  of  Old  Testament  praying  to  stir  up  New 
Testament  saints  to  imitate  by  the  fervour  and 
influence  of  their  praying  the  holy  men  of  old, 
and  duplicate  and  surpass  the  power  of  their 
praying.  Elijah,  he  says,  was  a  man  subject  to 
like  passions  as  we  are,  and  he  prayed  earnestly 
that  it  might  not  rain  :  and  it  rained  not  en  the 
earth  by  the  space  of  three  years  and  six  months. 
And  he  prayed  again,  and  the  heaven  gave  rain, 
and  the  earth  brought  forth  her  fruit. 

In  the  Revelation  of  John  the  whole  lower  order 
of  God's  creation  and  His  providential  government, 
the  Church  and  the  angeUc  world,  are  in  the  attitude 
of  waiting  on  the  efficiency  of  the  prayers  of  the 
saintly  ones  on  earth  to  carry  on  the  various  interests 
of  earth  and  heaven.  The  angel  takes  the  fire 
kindled  by  prayer  and  casts  it  earthward,   "  and 


102  Purpose -IN  Prayer 

there  were  voices,  and  thunderings,  and  lightnings, 
and  an  earthquake."  Prayer  is  the  force  which 
creates  all  these  alarms,  stirs,  and  throes.  "  Ask 
of  Me,*'  says  God  to  His  Son,  and  to  the  Church 
of  His  Son,  "  and  I  shall  give  thee  the  heathen 
for  Thine  inheritance  and  the  uttermost  parts  of 
the  earth  for  Thy  possessions." 

The  men  who  have  done  mighty  things  for  God 
have  always  been  mighty  in  prayer,  have  well  under- 
stood the  possibilities  of  prayer,  and  made  most 
of  these  possibilities.  The  Son  of  God,  the  first 
of  all  and  the  mightiest  of  all,  has  shown  us  the 
all-potent  and  far-reaching  possibilities  of  prayer. 
Paul  was  mighty  for  God  because  he  knew  how 
to  use,  and  how  to  get  others  to  use,  the  mighty 
spiritual  forces  of  prayer. 

The  seraphim,  burning,  sleepless,  adoring,  is  the 
figure  of  prayer.  It  is  resistless  in  its  ardour, 
devoted  and  tireless.  There  are  hindrances-  to 
prayer  that  nothing  but  pure,  intense  flame  can 
surmount.  There  are  toils  and  outlays  and 
endurance  which  nothing  but  the  strongest,  most 
ardent  flame  can  abide.  Prayer  may  be  low- 
tongued,  but  it  cannot  be  cold-tongued.  Its  words 
may  be  few,  but  they  must  be  on  fire.  Its  feelings 
may  not  be  impetuous,  but  they  must  be  white 
with  heat.  It  is  the  effectual,  fervent  prayer  that 
influences  God. 

God's  house  is  the  house  of  prayer ;  God's  work 
is  the  work  of  prayer.    It  is  the  zeal  for  God's 


Purpose  in  Prayer  103 

house  and  the  zeal  for  God's  work  that  makes 
God's  house  glorious  and  His  work  abide. 

When  the  prayer-chambers  -^f  saints  are  closed 
or  are  entered  casually  or  coldly,  then  Church 
rulers  are  secular,  fleshly,  materiahsed ;  spiritual 
character  sinks  to  a  low  level,  and  the  ministry 
becomes  restrained  and  enfeebled. 

When  prayer  fails,  the  world  prevails.  When 
prayer  fails  the  Church  loses  its  Divine  character- 
istics, its  Divine  power;  the  Church  is  swallowed 
up  by  a  proud  ecclesiasticism,  and  the  world  scoffs 
at  its  obvious  impotence. 


7  look  upon  all  the  four  Gospels  as  thoroughly  genuine,  for 
there  is  in  them  the  reflection  of  a  greatness  which  emanated 
from  the  person  of  Jesus  and  which  uas  of  as  Divine  a  kind 
as  ever  was  seen  on  earth. — Goethe. 

There  are  no  possibilities,  no  necessity  for  prayerless  praying, 
a  heartless  performance,  a  senseless  routine,  a  dead  habit, 
a  hasty,  careless  performance — it  justifies  nothing.  Prayer- 
less  praying  has  no  life,  gives  no  life,  is  dead,  breathes  out 
death.  Not  a  battle-axe  but  a  child's  toy,  for  play  not  for 
service.  Prayerless  praying  docs  not  come  up  to  the  importance 
and  aims  of  a  recreation.  J'raytrless  praying  is  only  a 
weight,  an  impediment  m  the  hour  of  struggle,  of  intense 
conflict,  a  call  to  retreat  in  the  moment  of  battle  arid  victory. 


Why  do  we  not  pray  ?  What  arc  the  hindrances 
to  prayer  ?  This  is  not  a  curious  nor  trivial 
question.  It  goes  not  only  to  the  whole  matter  of 
our  praying,  but  to  the  whole  matter  of  our  religion. 
Religion  is  bound  to  decline  when  praying  is 
hindered.  That  which  hinders  praying,  hinders 
religion.  He  who  is  too  busy  to  pray  will  be  too 
busy  to  live  a  holy  life. 

Other  duties  become  pressing  and  absorbing  and 
crowd  out  prayer.  Choked  to  death,  would  be 
the  coroner's  verdict  in  many  cases  of  dead  praying, 
if  an  inquest  could  be  secured  on  this  dire,  spiritual 
calamity.  This  way  of  hindering  prayer  becomes 
so  natural,  so  easy,  so  innocent  that  it  comes  on  us 
all  unawares.  If  we  will  allow  our  praying  to  be 
crowded  out,  it  will  always  be  done.  Satan  had 
rather  we  let  the  grass  grow  on  the  path  to  our 
prayer  -  chamber  than  anything  else.  A  closed 
chamber  of  prayer  means  gone  out  of  business 
religiously,  or  what  is  worse,  made  an  assignment 
and  carr3dng  on  our  religion  in  some  other  name  than 
God's  and  to  somebody  else's  glory.  God's  glory  is 
only  secured  in  the  business  of  religion  by  carrying 
that  religion  on  with  a  large  capital  of  prayer.    The 

105 


io6  Purpose  in  Prayer 

apostles  understood  this  when  they  declared  that 
their  time  must  not  be  employed  in  even  the  sacred 
duties  of  alms-giving  ;  they  must  give  themselves, 
they  said,  '*  continually  to  prayer  and  to  the  ministry 
of  the  Word,"  prayer  being  put  first  with  them 
and  the  ministry  of  the  Word  having  its  efficiency 
and  life  from  prayer. 

The  process  of  hindering  prayer  by  crowding 
out  is  simple  and  goes  by  advancing  stages.  First, 
prayer  is  hurried  through.  Unrest  and  agitation, 
fatal  to  all  devout  exercises,  come  in.  Then  the 
time  is  shortened,  relish  for  the  exercise  palls.  Then 
it  is  crowded  into  a  comer  and  depends  on  the 
fragments  of  time  for  its  exercise.  Its  value 
depreciates.  The  duty  has  lost  its  importance.  It 
no  longer  commands  respect  nor  brings  benefit. 
It  has  fallen  out  of  estimate,  out  of  the  heart,  out 
of  the  habits,  out  of  the  life.  We  cease  to  pray  and 
cease  to  live  spiritually. 

There  is  no  stay  to  the  desolating  floods  of 
wordliness  and  business  and  cares,  but  prayer. 
Christ  meant  this  when  He  charged  us  to  watch 
and  pray.  There  is  no  pioneering  corps  for  the 
Gospel  but  prayer.  Paul  knew  that  when  he 
declared  that  "  night  and  day  he  prayed  exceedingly 
that  we  might  see  your  face  and  might  perfect 
that  which  is  lacking  in  your  faith."  There  is  no 
arriving  at  a  high  state  of  grace  without  much 
praying  and  no  staying  in  those  high  altitudes 
without  great  praying.     Epaphras  knew  this  when 


Purpose  in  Prayer  107 

he  "  laboured  fervently  in  prayers  "  for  the  Colossian 
Church,  "  that  they  might  stand  perfect  and 
complete  in  all  the  will  of  God/' 

The  only  way  to  preserve  our  praying  from 
being  hindered  is  to  estimate  prayer  at  its  true  and 
great  value.  Estimate  it  as  Daniel  did,  who,  when 
he  "  knew  that  the  writing  was  signed  he  went 
into  his  house,  and  his  windows  being  opened  to 
Jerusalem,  he  kneeled  upon  his  knees  three  times 
a  day  and  prayed  and  gave  thanks  before  his  God 
as  he  did  aforetime."  Put  praying  into  the  high 
values  as  Daniel  did,  above  place,  honour,  ease, 
wealth,  life.  Put  praying  into  the  habits  as 
Daniel  did.  "As  he  did  aforetime "  has  much 
in  it  to  give  firmness  and  fidelity  in  the  hour  of 
trial ;  much  in  it  to  remove  hindrances  and  master 
opposing  circumstances. 

One  of  Satan's  wihest  tricks  is  to  destroy  the 
best  by  the  good.  Business  and  other  duties  are 
good,  but  we  are  so  filled  \vith  these  that  they 
crowd  out  and  destroy  the  best.  Prayer  holds  the 
citadel  for  God,  and  if  Satan  can  by  any  means 
weaken  prayer  he  is  a  gainer  so  far,  and  when 
prayer  is  dead  the  citadel  is  taken.  We  must  keep 
prayer  as  the  faithful  sentinel  keeps  guard,  with 
sleepless  vigilance.  We  must  not  keep  it  half- 
starved  and  feeble  as  a  baby,  but  we  must  keep  it 
in  giant  strength.  Our  prayer-chamber  should 
have  our  freshest  strength,  our  calmest  time,  its 
hours  unfettered,  without  obtrusion,  without  haste. 


io8  Purpose  in  Prayer 

Private  place  and  plenty  of  time  are  the  life  of 
prayer,  "  To  kneel  upon  our  knees  three  times  a 
day  and  pray  and  give  thanks  before  God  as  we 
did  aforetime/'  is  the  very  heart  and  soul  of  religion, 
and  makes  men,  like  Daniel,  of  "  an  excellent  spirit," 
"  greatly  beloved  in  heaven." 

The  greatness  of  prayer,  involving  as  it  does 
the  whole  man,  in  the  intensest  form,  is  not  realised 
without  spiritual  discipline.  This  makes  it  hard 
work,  and  before  this  exacting  and  consuming 
effort  our  spiritual  sloth  or  feebleness  stands  abashed. 

The  simplicity  of  prayer,  its  child-like  elements 
form  a  great  obstacle  to  true  praying.  Intellect 
gets  in  the  way  of  the  heart.  The  child  spirit  only 
is  the  spirit  of  prayer.  It  is  no  holiday  occupation 
to  make  the  man  a  child  again.  In  song,  in  poetry, 
in  memory  he  may  wish  himself  a  child  again,  but 
in  prayer  he  must  be  a  child  again  in  reality.  At 
his  mother's  knee,  artless,  sweet,  intense,  direct, 
trustful.  With  no  shade  of  doubt,  no  temper  to  be 
denied.  A  desire  which  burns  and  consumes  which 
can  only  be  voiced  by  a  cry.  It  is  no  easy  work  to 
have  this  child-hke  spirit  of  prayer. 

If  praying  were  but  an  hour  in  the  closet,  diffi- 
culties would  face  and  hinder  even  that  hour,  but 
praying  is  the  whole  life  preparing  for  the  closet. 
How  difficult  it  is  to  cover  home  and  business,  all 
the  sweets  and  all  the  bitters  of  life,  with  the  holy 
atmosphere  of  the  closet  !  A  holy  life  is  the  only 
preparation  for  prayer.     It  is  just  as  difficult  to 


Purpose  in  Prayer  109 

pray,  as  it  is  to  live  a  holy  life.  In  this  we  find  a 
wall  of  exclusion  built  around  our  closets ;  men 
do  not  love  holy  praying,  because  they  do  not  love 
and  will  not  do  holy  living.  Montgomery  sets 
forth  the  difficulties  of  true  praying  when  he  declares 
the  sublimity  and  simplicity  of  prayer. 

Prayer  is  the  simplest  form  of  speech 

That  infant  lips  can  try. 
Prayer  is  the  sublimest  strains  that  reach 

The  Majesty  on  high. 

This  is  not  only  good  poetry,  but  a  profound 
truth  as  to  the  loftiness  and  simphcity  of  prayer. 
There  are  great  difficulties  in  reaching  the  exalted, 
angelic  strains  of  prayer.  The  difficulty  of  coming 
down  to  the  simplicity  of  infant  lips  is  not  much 
less. 

Prayer  in  the  Old  Testament  is  called  wrestling. 
Conflict  and  skill,  strenuous,  exhaustive  effort  are 
involved.  In  the  New  Testament  we  have  the 
terms  striving,  labouring  fervently,  fervent,  effectual, 
agony,  all  indicating  intense  effort  put  forth, 
difficulties  overcome.    We,  in  our  praises  sing  out — 

"  What  various  hindrances  we  meet 
In  coming  to  a  mercy  seat." 

We  also  have  learned  that  the  gracious  results 
secured  by  prayer  are  generally  proportioned  to 
the  outlay  in  removing  the  hindrances  which  obstruct 
our  soul's  high  communion  with  God. 

Christ  spake  a  parable  to  this  end,   that  men 


no  Purpose  in  Prayer 

ought  always  to  pray  and  not  to  faint.  The  parable 
of  the  importunate  widow  teaches  the  difficulties 
in  praying,  how  they  are  to  be  surmounted,  and 
the  happy  results  which  follow  from  valorous 
praying.  Difficulties  will  always  obstruct  the  way 
to  the  closet  as  long  as  it  remains  true, 

"  That  Satan  trembles  when  he  sees 
The  weakest  saint  upon  his  knees." 

Courageous  faith  is  made  stronger  and  purer  by 
mastering  difficulties.  These  difficulties  but  couch 
the  eye  of  faith  to  the  glorious  prize  which  is  to  be 
won  by  the  successful  wrestler  in  prayer.  Men 
must  not  faint  in  the  contest  of  prayer,  but  to  this 
high  and  holy  work  they  must  give  themselves, 
defying  the  difficulties  in  the  way,  and  experience 
more  than  an  angel's  happiness  in  the  results. 
Luther  said  :  "To  have  prayed  well  is  to  have 
studied  well."  More  than  that,  to  have  prayed 
well  is  to  have  fought  well.  To  have  prayed 
well  is  to  have  Uved  well.  To  pray  well  is  to  die 
well. 

Prayer  is  a  rare  gift,  not  a  popular,  ready  gift. 
Prayer  is  not  the  fruit  of  natural  talents ;  it  is  the 
product  of  faith,  of  holiness,  of  deeply  spiritual 
character.  Men  learn  to  pray  as  they  learn  to 
love.  Perfection  in  simplicity,  in  humility  in 
faith — these  form  its  chief  ingredients.  Novices 
in  these  graces  are  not  adepts  in  prayer.  It  cannot 
be  seized  upon  by  untrained  hands ;    graduates  in 


Purpose  in  Prayer  hi 

heaven's  highest  school  of  art  can  alone  touch  its 
finest  keys,  raise  its  sweetest,  highest  notes.  Fine 
material,  fine  finish  are  requisite.  Master  workmen 
are  required,  for  mere  journeymen  cannot  execute 
the  work  of  prayer. 

The  spirit  of  prayer  should  rule  our  spirits  and 
our  conduct.  The  spirit  of  the  prayer-chamber 
must  control  our  lives  or  the  closest  hour  will  be 
dull  and  sapless.  Always  praying  in  spirit ;  always 
acting  in  the  spirit  of  praying;  these  make  our 
praying  strong.  The  spirit  of  every  moment  is 
that  which  imparts  strength  to  the  closet  com- 
munion. It  is  what  we  are  out  of  the  closet  which 
gives  victory  or  brings  defeat  to  the  closet.  If 
the  spirit  of  the  world  prevails  in  our  non-doset 
hours,  the  spirit  of  the  world  will  prevail  in  our 
closet  hours,  and  that  will  be  a  vain  and  idle 
farce. 

We  must  live  for  God  out  of  the  closet  if  we 
would  meet  God  in  the  clgset^  We  must  bless  God 
by  praying  lives  if  we  would  have  God's  blessing 
in  the  closet.  We  must  do  God's  will  in  our  fives 
if  we  would  have  God's  ear  in  the  closet.  We 
must  listen  to  God's  voice  in  public  if  we  would 
have  God  listen  to  our  voice  in  private.  God 
must  have  our  hearts  out  of  the  closet,  if  we  would 
have  God's  presence  in  the  closet.  If  we  would 
have  God  in  the  closet,  God  must  have  us  out  of  the 
closet.  There  is  no  way  of  praying  to  God,  but 
by  living  to  God.    The  closet  is  not  a  confessional, 


112  Purpose  in  Prayer 

simply,  but  the  hour  of  holy  communion  and  high 
and  sweet  intercourse  anu  of  intense  intercession. 

Men  would  pray  better  if  they  lived  better. 
They  would  get  more  from  God  if  they  lived  more 
obedient  and  well  pleasing  to  God.  We  would 
have  more  strength  and  time  for  the  Divine  work 
of  intercession  if  we  did  not  have  to  expend  so 
much  strength  and  time  settling  up  old  scores 
and  paying  our  delinquent  taxes.  Our  spiritual 
liabilities  are  so  greatly  in  excess  of  our  spiritual 
assets  that  our  closet  time  is  spent  in  talcing  out  a 
decree  of  bankruptcy  instead  of  being  the  time  of 
great  spiritual  wealth  for  us  and  for  others.  Our 
closets  are  too  much  like  the  sign,  "  Closed  for 
Repairs." 

John  said  of  primitive  Christian  praying,  "  What- 
soever we  ask  we  receive  of  Him,  because  we  keep 
His  commandments  and  do  those  things  which  are 
pleasing  in  His  sight."  We  should  note  what 
illimitable  grounds  were  covered,  what  illimitable 
gifts  were  received  by  their  strong  praying : 
"  Whatsoever  " — how  comprehensive  the  range  and 
reception  of  mighty  praying  ;  how  suggestive  the 
reasons  for  the  ability  to  pray  and  to  have  prayers 
answered.  Obedience,  but  more  than  mere 
obedience,  doing  the  things  which  please  God  well. 
They  went  to  their  closets  made  strong  by  their 
strict  obedience  and  loving  fidelity  to  God  in  their 
conduct.  Their  lives  were  not  only  true  and 
obedient,    but    they    were    thinking  .  about    things 


Purpose  in  Prayer  113 

above  obedience,  searching  for  and  doing  things 
to  make  God  glad.  These  can  come  with  eager 
step  and  radiant  countenance  to  meet  their  Father 
in  the  closet,  not  simply  to  be  forgiven,  but  to  be 
approved  and  to  receive. 

It  makes  much  difference  whether  we  come  to 
God  as  a  criminal  or  a  child  ;  to  be  pardoned  or  to 
be  approved  ;  to  settle  scores  or  to  be  embraced  ; 
for  punishment  or  for  favour.  Our  praying  to  be 
strong  must  be  buttressed  by  holy  living.  The 
name  of  Christ  must  be  honoured  by  our  lives 
before  it  will  honour  our  intercessions.  The  life 
of  faith  perfects  the  prayer  of  faith. 

Our  lives  not  only  give  colour  to  our  praying,  but 
they  give  body  to  it  as  well.  Bad  living  makes 
bad  praying.  We  pray  feebly  because  we  live 
feebly.  The  stream  of  praying  cannot  rise  higher 
than  the  fountain  of  living.  The  closet  force  is 
made  up  of  the  energy  which  flows  from  the 
confluent  streams  of  living.  The  feebleness  of 
living  throws  its  faintness  into  closet  homes.  We 
cannot  talk  to  God  strongly  when  we  have  not 
lived  for  God  strongly.  The  closet  cannot  be 
made  holy  to  God  when  the  life  has  not  been  holy 
to  God.  The  Word  of  God  emphasises  our  conduct 
as  giving  value  to  our  praying.  "  Then  shalt  thou 
call  and  the  Lord  shalt  answer,  Thou  shalt  cry 
and  He  shall  say.  Here  I  am.  If  thou  take  away 
from  the  midst  of  thee  the  yoke,  the  putting  forth 
the  finger,  and  speaking  vanity." 
8 


114  Purpose  in  Prayer 

Men  are  to  pray  "  lifting  up  holy  hands  without 
wrath  and  doubting."  We  are  to  pass  the  time 
of  our  sojourning  here  in  fear  if  we  would  call  on 
the  Father.  We  cannot  divorce  praying  from 
conduct.  "  WTiat soever  we  ask  we  receive  of  Him 
because  we  keep  His  commandments  and  do  those 
things  that  are  pleasing  in  His  sight."  "  Ye  ask 
and  receive  not  because  ye  ask  amiss  that  ye  may 
consume  it  upon  your  lusts."  The  injunction  of 
Christ,  "  Watch  and  pray,"  is  to  cover  and  guard 
conduct  that  we  may  come  to  our  closets  with 
all  the  force  secured  by  a  vigilant  guard  over  our 
lives. 

Our  religion  breaks  down  oftenest  and  most 
sadly  in  our  conduct.  Beautiful  theories  are  marred 
by  ugly  lives.  The  most  difficult  as  well  as  the 
most  impressive  point  in  piety  is  to  Uve  it.  Our 
praying  suffers  as  much  as  our  religion  from  bad 
living.  Preachers  were  charged  in  primitive  times 
to  preach  by  their  lives  or  preach  not  at  all.  So 
Christians  everywhere  ought  to  be  charged  to  pray 
by  their  lives  or  pray  not  at  all.  Of  course,  the 
prayer  of  repentance  is  acceptable.  But  repentance 
means  to  quit  doing  wrong  and  learn  to  do.  well. 
A  repentance  which  does  not  produce  a  change  in 
conduct  is  a  sham.  Praying  which  does  not  result 
in  pure  conduct  is  a  delusion.  We  have  missed 
the  whole  office  and  virtue  of  praying  if  it  does 
not  rectify  conduct.  It  is  in  the  very  nature  of 
things  that  we  must  quit  praying  or  quit  bad  conduct. 


Purpose  in  Prayer  115 

Cold,  dead  praying  may  exist  with  bad  conduct, 
but  cold,  dead  praying  is  no  praying  in  God's  esteem. 
Our  praying  advances  in  power  as  it  rectifies  the 
life.  A  life  growing  in  its  purity  and  devotion 
will  be  a  more  prayerful  life. 

The  pity  is  that  so  much  of  our  praying  is  without 
object  or  aim.  It  is  without  purpose.  How  much 
praying  there  is  by  men  and  women  who  never 
abide  in  Christ— hasty  praying,  sweet  praying 
full  of  sentiment,  pleasing  praying,  but  not  backed 
by  a  life  wedded  to  Christ.  Popular  pra^dng  I 
How  much  of  this  praying  is  from  unsanctified 
hearts  and  unhallowed  lips  !  Prayers  spring  into 
Hfe  under -the  influence  of  some  great  excitement, 
by  some  pressing  emergency,  through  some  popular 
clamour,  some  great  peril.  But  the  conditions  of 
prayer  are  not  there.  We  rush  into  God's  presence 
and  try  to  link  Him  to  our  cause,  inflame  Him  with 
our  passions,  move  Him  by  our  peril.  All  things 
are  to  be  prayed  for — but  with  clean  hands,  with 
absolute  deference  to  God's  will  and  abiding  in 
Christ.  Prayerless  praying  by  lips  and  hearts 
untrained  to  prayer,  by  lives  out  of  harmony  with 
Jesus  Christ ;  prayerless  praying,  which  has  the 
form  and  motion  of  prayer  but  is  without  the  true 
heart  of  prayer,  never  moves  God  to  an  answer. 
It  is  of  such  praying- that  James  says  :  "  Ye  have 
not  because  ye  ask  not ;  ye  ask  and  receive  not, 
because  ye  ask  amiss." 

The  two  great  evils — not  asking,  and  asking  in 


tt6  Purpose  in  Prayer 

a  wrong  way.  Perhaps  the  greater  evil  is  wrong 
asking,  for  it  has  in  it  the  show  of  duty  done,  of 
praying  when  there  has  been  no  praying — a  deceit, 
a  fraud,  a  sham.  The  times  of  the  most  praying 
are  not  really  the  times  of  the  best  praying.  The 
Pharisees  prayed  much,  but  they  were  actuated  by 
vanity ;  their  praying  was  the  s5anbol  of  their 
hypocrisy  by  which  they  made  God's  house  of 
prayer  a  den  of  robbers.  Theirs  was  praying 
on  state  occasions  —  mechanical,  perfunctory, 
professional,  beautiful  in  words,  fragrant  in  senti- 
ment, well  ordered,  well  received  by  the  ears  that 
heard,  but  utterly  devoid  of  every  element  of 
real  prayer. 

The  conditions  of  prayer  are  well  ordered  and 
clear — abiding  in  Christ ;  in  His  name.  One  of 
the  first  necessities,  if  we  are  to  grasp  the  infinite 
possibilities  of  prayer,  is  to  get  rid  of  prayerless 
praying.  It  is  often  beautiful  in  words  and  in 
execution  ;  it  has  the  drapery  of  prayer  in  rich 
and  costly  form,  but  it  lacks  the  soul  of  praying. 
We  fall  so  easily  into  the  habit  of  prayerless  service, 
of  merely  filling  a  programme. 

If  men  only  prayed  on  all  occasions  and  in  every 
place  where  they  go  through  the  motion  !  If  there 
were  only  holy  inflamed  hearts  back  of  all  these 
beautiful  words  and  gracious  forms  !  If  there  were 
always  uplifted  hearts  in  these  erect  men  who  are 
uttering  flawless  but  vain  words  before  God  !  If 
there  were   always  reverent   bended   hearts  when 


Purpose  in  Prayer  117 

bended  knees  are  uttering  words  before  God  to 
please  men's  ears  !    • 

There  is  nothing  that  will  preserve  the  life  of 
prayer ;  its  vigour,  sweetness,  obligations,  serious- 
ness and  value,  so  much  as  a  deep  conviction  that 
prayer  is  an  approach  to  God,  a  pleading  with 
God,  an  asking  of  God.  Reality  will  then  be 
in  it ;  reverence  will  then  be  in  the  attitude, 
in  the  place,  and  in  the  air.  Faith  will  draw, 
kindle  and  open.  Formality  and  deadness  cannot 
live  in  this  high  and  all-serious  home  of  the 
soul. 

Prayerless  praying  lacks  the  essential  element  of 
true  praying ;  it  is  not  based  on  desire,  and  is 
devoid  of  earnestness  and  faith.  Desire  burdens 
the  chariot  of  prayer,  and  faith  drives  its  wheels. 
Prayerless  praying  has  no  burden,  because  no  sense  of 
need ;  no  ardency,  because  none  of  the  vision, 
strength,  or  glow  of  faith.  No  mighty  pressure  to 
prayer,  no  holding  on  to  God  with  the  deathless, 
despairing  grasp,  "  I  will  not  let  Thee  go  except 
Thou  bless  me."  No  utter  self-abandon,  lost  in 
the  throes  of  a  desperate,  pertinacious,  and 
consuming  plea :  "  Yet  now  if  Thou  wilt  forgive 
their  sin — if  not,  blot  me,  I  pray  thee,  out  of  Thy 
book ; ."  or,  "  Give  me  Scotland,  or  I  die."  Prayerless 
praying  stakes  nothing  on  the  issue,  for  it  has  nothing 
to  stake.  It  comes  with  empty  hands,  indeed,  but 
they  are  listless  hands  as  well  as  empty.  They 
have    never   learned    the    lesson    of   empty   hands 


1x8  Purpose  in  Prayer 

clinging  to  the  cross;  this  lesson  to  them  has 
no  form  nor  comeliness. 

Prayerless  praying  has  no  heart  in  its  praying. 
The  lack  of  heart  deprives  praying  of  its  reality, 
and  makes  it  an  empty  and  unfit  vessel.  Heart, 
soul,  life  must  be  in  our  praying ;  the  heavens 
must  feel  the  force  of  our  crying,  and  must  be 
brought  into  oppressed  sympathy  for  our  bitter  and 
needy  state.  A  need  that  oppresses  us,  and  has  no  re- 
hef  but  in  our  crjdng  to  God,  must  voice  our  praying. 

Prayerless  praying  is  insincere.  It  has  no 
honesty  at  heart.  We  name  in  words  what  we 
do  not  want  in  heart.  Our  prayers  give  formal 
utterance  to  the  things  for  which  our  hearts  are 
not  only  not  hungry,  but  for  which  they  really 
have  no  taste.  We  once  heard  an  eminent  and 
saintly  preacher,  now  in  heaven,  come  abruptly  and 
sharply  on  a  congregation  that  had  just  risen  from 
prayer,  with  the  question  and  statement,  "  What 
did  you  pray  for  ?  If  God  should  take  hold  of 
you  and  shake  you,  and  demand  what  you  prayed 
for,  you  could  not  tell  Him  to  save  your  life  what 
the  prayer  was  that  has  just  died  from  your  lips." 
So  it  always  is,  prayerless  praying  has  neither 
memory  nor  heart.  A  mere  form,  a  heterogeneous 
mass,  an  insipid  compound,  a  mixture  thrown 
together  for  sound  and  to  fill  up,  but  with  neither 
heart  nor  aim,  is  prayerless  praying.  A  dry  routine, 
a  dreary  drudge,  a  dull  and  heavy  task  is  this 
prayerless  praying. 


Purpose  in  Prayer  119 

But  prayerless  praying  is  much  worse  than  either 
task  or  drudge,  it  divorces  praying  from  Hving  ; 
it  utters  its  words  against  the  world,  but  with  heart 
and  Hfe  runs  into  the  world  ;  it  prays  for  humility, 
but  nurtures  pride ;  prays  for  self-denial,  while 
indulging  the  fiesh.  Nothing  exceeds  in  gracious 
results  true  praying,  but  better  not  to  pray  at  all 
than  to  pray  prayerless  prayers,  for  they  are  but 
sinning,  and  the  worst  of  sinning  is  to  sin  on  our 
knees. 

The  prayer  habit  is  a  good  habit,  but  praying 
by  dint  of  habit  only  is  a  very  bad  habit.  This 
kind  of  praying  is  not  conditioned  after  God's 
order,  nor  generated  by  God's  power.  It  is  not 
only  a  waste,  a  perversion,  and  a  delusion,  but  it 
is  a  prolific  source  of  unbelief.  Prayerless  praying 
gets  no  results.  God  is  not  reached,  self  is  not 
helped.  It  is  better  not  to  pray  at  all  than  to 
secure  no  results  from  praying.  Better  for  the 
one  who  prays,  better  for  others.  Men  hear  of 
the  prodigious  results  which  are  to  be  secured  by 
prayer :  the  matchless  good  promised  in  God's 
Word  to  prayer.  These  keen-eyed  worldlings  or 
timid  Httle  faith  ones  mark  the  great  discrepancy 
between  the  results  promised  and  results  realised, 
and  are  led  necessarily  to  doubt  the  truth  and 
worth  of  that  which  is  so  big  in  promise  and  so 
beggarly  in  results.  Religion  and  God  are  dis- 
honoured, doubt  and  unbelief  are  strengthened  by 
much  asking  and  no  getting. 


120  Purpose  in  Prayer 

In  contrast  with  this,  what  a  mighty  force 
prayerful  praying  is.  Real  prayer  helps  God  and 
man.  God's  Kingdom  is  advanced  by  it.  The 
greatest  good  comes  to  man  by  it.  Prayer  can 
do  anything  that  God  can  do.  The  pity  is  that  we 
do  not  believe  this  as  we  ought,  and  we  do  not  put 
it  to  the  test. 


The  deepest  need  of  the  Church  to-day  is  not  for  any  material 
or  external  thing,  hut  the  deepest  need  is  spiritual.  Prayerless 
work  will  never  bring  in  the  kingdom.  We  neglect  to  pray 
in  the  prescribed  way.  We  seldom  enter  the  closet  and  shut 
the  door  for  a  season  of  prayer.  Kingdom  interests  are 
pressing  on  us  thick  and  fast  and  we  must  pray.  Prayerless 
giving  will  never  evangelise  the  world. — Dr.  A.  J.  Gordon. 


The  great  subject  of  prayer,  that  comprehensive  need  of 
the  Christian's  life,  is  intimately  hound  up  in  the  personal 
fulness  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  is  "  by  the  One  Spirit  we  have 
access  unto  the  Father  "  [Eph.  ii.  i8),  and  by  the  same  Spirit, 
having  entered  the  audience  chamber  through  the  "new  and 
living  way,'*  we  are  enabled  to  pray  in  the  will  of  God  [Rom. 
via.  15,  26-27  /  ^^^-  »^-  6  ;  Eph.  vi.  18  ;   Jude  20-21). 

Here  is  the  secret  of  prevailing  prayer,  to  pray  under  a 
direct  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  whose  petitions  for  us 
and  through  us  are  always  according  to  the  Divine  purpose, 
and  hence  certain  of  answer.  "  Praying  in  the  Holy  Ghost  " 
is  but  co-operating  with  the  will  of  God,  and  such  prayer  is 
always  victorious.  How  many  Christians  there  are  who 
cannot  pray,  and  who  seek  by  effort,  resolve,  joining  prayer 
circles,  etc.,  to  cultivate  in  themselves  the  "  holy  art  of  inter- 
cession," and  all  to  no  purpose.  Here  for  them  and  for  all 
is  the  only  secret  of  a  real  .prayer  life — "Be  filled  with  the 
Spirit"  who  is  "  the  Spirit  of  grace  and  supplication." 
— Rev.  J.  Stuart  Holden,  M.A. 


XI 

The  preceding  chapter  closed  with  the  statement 
that  prayer  can  do  anything  that  God  can  do. 
It  is  a  tremendous  statement  to  make,  but  it  is  a 
statement  borne  out  by  history  and  experience. 
If  we  are  abiding  in  Christ — and  if  we  abide  in  Him 
we  are  Uving  in  obedience  to  His  holy  will — and 
approach  God  in  His  name,  then  there  lie  open 
before  us  the  infinite  resources  of  the  Divine  treasure- 
house. 

The  man  who  truly  prays  gets  from  God  many 
things  denied  to  the  prayerless  man.  The  aim  of 
all  real  pra5dng  is  to  get  the  thing  prayed  for,  as 
the  child's  cry  for  bread  has  for  its  end  the  getting 
of  bread.  This  view  removes  prayer  clean  out  of 
the  sphere  of  religious  performances.  Prayer  is 
not  acting  a  part  or  going  through  reHgious 
motions.  Prayer  is  neither  ofi&cial  nor  formal  nor 
ceremonial,  but  direct,  hearty,  intense.  Prayer  is  ^ 
not  religious  work  which  must  be  gone  through, 
and  avails  because  well  done.  Prayer  is  the  helpless 
and  needy  child  crying  to  the  compassion  of  the 
Father's  heart  and  the  bounty  and  power  of  a 
Father's  hand.     The  answer  is  as  sure  to  come  as    j^ 

123 


124  Purpose  in  Prayer 

the  Father's  heart  can  be  touched  and  the  Father's 
hand  moved. 

The  object  of  asking  is  to  receive.  The  aim  of 
seeking  is  to  find.  The  pm-pose  of  knocking  is  to 
arouse  attention  and  get  in,  and  this  is  Christ's 
iterated  and  re-iterated  asseveration  that  the  prayer 
without  doubt  will  be  answered,  its  end  without 
doubt  secured.  Not  by  some  round-about  way, 
but  by  getting  the  very  thing  asked  for. 

The  value  of  prayer  does  not  lie  in  the  number 
of  prayers,  or  the  length  of  prayers,  but  its  value 
is  found  in  the  great  truth  that  we  are  privileged 
by  our  relations  to  God  to  unburden  our  desires 
and  make  our  requests  known  to  God,  and  He  will 
relieve  by  granting  our  petitions.  The  child  asks 
because  the  parent  is  in  the  habit  of  granting  the 
child's  requests.  As  the  children  of  God  we  need 
something  and  we  need  it  badly,  and  we  go  to  God 
for  it.  Neither  the  Bible  nor  the  child  of  God 
knows  anything  of  that  half-infidel  declaration,  that 
we  are  to  answer  our  own  prayers.  God  answers 
prayer.  The  true  Christian  does  not  pray  to  stir 
himself  up,  but  his  prayer  is  the  stirring  up  of  himself 
to  take  hold  of  God.  The  heart  of  faith  knows 
nothing  of  that  specious  scepticism  which  stays  the 
steps  of  prayer  and  chills  its  ardour  by  whispering 
that  prayer  does  not  affect  God. 

D.  L.  Moody  used  to  tell  a  story  of  a  little  child 
whose  father  and  mother  had  died,  and  who  was 
taken   into   another   family.     The   first   night   she 


Purpose  in  Prayer  125 

asked  whether  she  could  pray  as  she  used  to  do. 
They  said  :  "  Oh,  yes  1  "  So  she  knelt  down  and 
prayed  as  her  mother  had  taught  her ;  and  when 
that  was  ended,  she  added  a  little  prayer  of  her 
own  :  "  O  God,  make  these  people  as  kind  to  me 
as  father  and  mother  were."  Then  she  paused  and 
looked  up,  as  if  expecting  the  answer,  and  then 
added  :  "Of  course  you  will."  How  sweetly  simple 
was  that  little  one's  faith  !  She  expected  God  to 
answer  and  "do,"  and  "  of  course  "  she  got  her 
request,  and  that  is  the  spirit  in  which  God  invites 
us  to  approach  Him. 

In  contrast  to  that  incident  is  the  story  told  of  the 
quaint  Yorkshire  class  leader,  Daniel  Quorm,  who 
was  visiting  a  friend.  One  forenoon  he  came  to 
the  friend  and  said,  "  I  am  sorry  you  have  met 
with  such  a  great  disappointment," 

"  Why,  no,"  said  the  man,  "  I  have  not  met  with 
any  disappointment." 

"  Yes,"  said  Daniel,  "  you  were  expecting  some- 
thing remarkable  to-day." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  said  the  friend. 

"  Why  you  prayed  that  you  might  be  kept  sweet 
and  gentle  all  day  long.  And,  by  the  way  things 
have  been  going,  I  see  you  have  been  greatly 
disappointed." 

"  Oh,"  said  the  man,  "  I  thought  you  meant 
something  particular." 

Prayer  is  mighty  in  its  operations,  and  God 
never  disappoints  those  who  put  their  trust  and 


126  Purpose  in  Prayer 

confidence  in  Him.  They  may  have  to  wait  long 
for  the  answer,  and  they  may  not  live  to  see  it,  but 
the  prayer  of  faith  never  misses  its  object. 

"  A  friend  of  mine  in  Cincinnati  had  preached 
his  sermon  and  sank  back  in  his  chair,  when  he 
felt  impelled  to  make  another  appeal,"  says  Dr.  J. 
Wilbur  Chapman.  "  A  boy  at  the  back  of  the  church 
lifted  his  hand.  My  friend  left  the  pulpit  and  went 
down  to  him,  and  said,  '  Tell  me  about  yourself.' 
The  boy  said, '  I  hve  in  New  York.  I  am  a  prodigal. 
Lhave  disgraced  my  father's  name  and  broken  my 
mother's  heart.  I  ran  away  and  told  them  I  would 
never  come  back  until  I  became  a  Christian  or  they 
brought  me  home  dead.'  That  night  there  went 
from  Cincinnati  a  letter  telling  his  father  and  mother 
that  their  boy  had  turned  to  God. 

"  Seven  days  later,  in  a  black-bordered  envelope, 
a  reply  came  which  read  :  '  My  dear  boy,  when  I  got 
the  news  that  you  had  received  Jesus  Christ  the 
sky  was  overcast ;  your  father  was  dead.'  Then  the 
letter  went  on  to  tell  how  the  father  had  prayed 
for  his  prodigal  boy  with  his  last  breath,  and 
concluded,  '  You  are  a  Christian  to-night  because 
your  old  father  would  not  let  you  go.'  " 

A  fourteen-year-old  boy  was  given  a  task  by 
his  father.  It  so  happened  that  a  group  of  boys 
came  along  just  then  and  wiled  the  boy  away  with 
them,  and  so  the  work  went  undone.  But  the 
father  came  home  that  evening  and  said,  "  Frank, 
did  you  do  the  work  that  I  gave  you  ?  "    "  Yes, 


PUKPOSE  IN  Prayer  127 

sir/'  said  Frank.  He  told  an  untruth,  and  his 
father  knew  it,  but  said  nothing.  It  troubled  the 
boy,  but  he  went  to  bed  as  usual.  Next  morning 
his  mother  said  to  him,  "  Your  father  did  not  sleep 
all  last  night." 

"  Why  didn't  he  sleep  ?  "  asked  Frank. 

His  mother  said,  "  He  spent  the  whole  night 
praying  for  you." 

This  sent  the  arrow  into  his  heart.  He  was 
deeply  convicted  of  his  sin,  and  knew  no  rest  until 
he  had  got  right  with  God.  Long  afterward,  when 
the  boy  became  Bishop  Wame,  he  said  that  his 
decision  for  Christ  came  from  his  father's  prayer 
that  night.  He  saw  his  father  keeping  his  lonely 
and  sorrowful  vigil  praying  for  his  boy,  and  it 
broke  his  heart.  Said  he,  "  I  can  never  be 
sufficiently  grateful  to  him  for  that  prayer." 

An  evangelist,  much  used  of  God,  has  put  on 
record  that  he  commenced  a  series  of  meetings  in  a 
little  church  of  about  twenty  members  who  were 
very  cold  and  dead,  and  much  divided.  A  little 
prayer-meeting  was  kept  up  by  two  or  three  women. 
"  I  preached,  and  closed  at  eight  o'clock,"  he 
says.  "  There  was  no  one  to  speak  or  pray.  The 
next  evening  one  man  spoke. 

"  The  next  morning  I  rode  six  miles  to  a  minster's 
study,  and  kneeled  in  prayer.  I  went  back,  and  said 
to  the  little  church  : 

'* '  If  you  can  make  out  enough  to  board  me,  I 
will  stay  until  God  opens  the  windows  of  heaven. 


128  Purpose  in  Prayer 

God   has   promised   to   bless   these  means,   and   I 
believe  He  will.' 

"  Within  ten  days  there  were  so  many  anxious 
souls  that  I  met  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  them 
at  a  time  in  an  inquiry  meeting,  while  Christians 
were  praying  in  another  house  of  worship.  Several 
hundred,  I  think,  were  converted.  It  is  safe  to 
believe  God." 

A  mother  asked  the  late  John  B.  Gough  to  visit 
her  son  to  win  him  to  Christ.  Gough  found  the 
young  man's  mind  full  of  sceptical  notions,  and 
impervious  to  argument.  Finally,  the  young  man 
was  asked  to  pray,  just  once,  for  light.  He  replied  : 
"  I  do  not  know  anything  perfect  to  whom  or  to 
which  I  could  pray."  "  How  about  your  mother's 
love  ?  "  said  the  orator.  "  Isn't  that  perfect  ? 
Hasn't  she  always  stood  by  you,  and  been  ready  to 
take  you  in,  and  care  for  you,  when  even  your  father 
had  really  kicked  you  out  ?  "  The  young  man 
chocked  with  emotion,  and  said,  "  Y-e-s,  sir  ;  that 
is  so."  "  Then  pray  to  Love — it  will  help  you. 
Will  you  promise  ?  "  He  promised.  That  night  the 
young  man  prayed  in  the  privacy  of  his  room.  He 
kneeled  down,  closed  his  eyes,  and  struggling  a 
moment  uttered  the  words  :  "  O  Love."  Instantly 
as  by  a  flash  of  lightning,  the  old  Bible  text  came  to 
him  :  "  God  is  love,"  and  he  said,  brokenly,  "  O 
God !  "  Then  another  flash  of  Divine  truth,  and  a 
voice  said,  "  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  He  gave 
His  only  begotten  Son," — and  there,  instantly,  he 


Purpose  in  Prayer 


129 


exclaimed,  "  O  Christ,  Thou  incarnation  of  Divinest 
love,  show  me  light  and  truth."  It  was  all  over. 
He  was  in  the  light  of  the  most  perfect  peace.  He 
ran  downstairs,  adds  the  narrator  of  this  incident, 
and  told  his  mother  that  he  was  saved.  That 
young  man  is  to-day  an  eloquent  minister  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

A  water  famine  was  threatened  in  Hakodate, 
Japan.  Miss  Dickerson,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Girls'  School,  saw  the  water  supply  growing  less 
daily,  and  in  one  of  the  fall  months  appealed  to 
the  Board  in  New  York  for  help.  There  was  no 
money  on  hand,  and  nothing  was  done.  Miss 
Dickerson  inquired  the  cost  of  putting  down  an 
artesian  well,  but  found  the  expense  too  great  to 
be  undertaken.  On  the  evening  of  December  31st, 
when  the  water  was  almost  exhausted,  the  teachers 
and  the  older  pupils  met  to  pray  for  water,  though 
they  had  no  idea  how  their  prayer  was  to  be 
answered.  A  couple  of  days  later  a  letter  was 
received  in  the  New  York  office  which  ran  something 
like  this  :  "  Philadelphia,  January  ist.  It  is  six 
o'clock  in  the  morning  of  New  Year's  Day.  All  the 
other  members  of  the  family  are  asleep,  but  I  was 
awakened  with  a  strange  impression  that  some  one, 
somewhere,  is  in  need  of  money  which  the  Lord 
wants  me  to  supply."  Enclosed  was  a  cheque  for  an 
amount  which  just  covered  the  cost  of  the  artesian 
well  and  the  piping  of  the  water  into  the  school 
buildings. 
9 


130  Purpose  in  Prayer 

"  I  have  seen  God's  hand  stretched  out  to  heal 
among  the  heathen  in  as  mighty  wonder-working 
power  as  in  apostohc  times/'  once  said  a  well- 
known  minister  to  the  writer.  "  I  was  preaching 
to  two  thousand  famine  orphan  girls,  at  Kedgaum, 
India,  at  Ramabai's  Mukti  (salvation)  Mission.  A 
swarm  of  serpents  as  venomous  and  deadly  as  the 
reptile  that  smote  Paul,  suddenly  raided  the  walled 
grounds,  *  sent  of  Satan,'  Ramabai  said,  and 
several  of  her  most  beautiful  and  faithful  Christian 
girls  were  smitten  by  them,  two  of  them  bitten 
twice.  I  saw  four  of  the  very  flower  of  her  flock 
in  convulsions  at  once,  unconscious  and  apparently 
in  the  agonies  of  death. 

"  Ramabai  believes  the  Bible  with  an  implicit  and 
obedient  faith.  There  were  three  of  us  missionaries 
there.  She  said  :  '  We  will  do  just  what  the  Bible 
says,  I  want  you  to  minister  for  their  heaUng 
according  to  James  v.  14-18.'  She  led  the  way 
into  the  dormitory  where  her  girls  were  lying  in 
spasms,  and  we  laid  our  hands  upon  their  heads 
and  prayed,  and  anointed  then^  with  oil  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord.  Each  of  them  was  healed  as 
soon  as  anointed  and  sat  up  and  sang  with  faces 
shining.  That  miracle  and  marvel  among  the 
heathen  mightily  confirmed  the  word  of  the  Lord, 
and  was  a  profound  and  overpowering  proclamation 
of  God." 

Some  years  ago,  the  record  of  a  wonderful  work 
of  grace  in  connection  with  one  of  the  stations  of 


Purpose  in  Prayer  131 

the  China  Inland  Mission  attracted  a  good  deal  of 
attention.  Both  the  number  and  spiniual  character 
of  the  converts  had  been  far  greater  than  at  other 
stations  where  the  consecration  of  the  missionaries 
had  been  just  as  great  as  at  the  more  fruitful  place. 

This  rich  harvest  of  souls  remained  a  mystery 
until  Hudson  Taylor  on  a  visit  to  England  discovered 
the  secret.  At  the  close  of  one  of  his  addresses  a 
gentleman  came  forward  to  make  his  acquaintance. 
In  the  conversation  which  followed,  Mr.  Taylor  was 
surprised  at  the  accurate  knowledge  the  man 
possessed  concerning  this  inland  China  station. 
"  But  how  is  it,"  Mr.  Taylor  asked,  "  that  you  are  so 
conversant  with  the  conditions  of  that  work  ?  " 
"  Oh  !  "  he  replied,  "  the  missionary  there  and  I  are 
old  college-mates ;  for  years  we  have  regularly 
corresponded ;  he  has  sent  me  names  of  enquirers 
and  converts,  and  these  I  have  daily  taken  to  God 
in  prayer." 

At  last  the  secret  was  found  1  A  praying  man 
at  home,  praying  definitely,  praying  daily,  for  specific 
cases  among  the  heathen.  That  is  the  real  inter- 
cessory missionary. 

Hudson  Taylor  himself,  as  all  the  world  knows, 
was  a  man  who  knew  how  to  pray  and  whose  praying 
was  blessed  with  fruitful  answers.  In  the  story  of 
his  life,  told  by  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Howard  Taylor,  we 
find  page  after  page  aglow  with  answered  prayer. 
On  his  way  out  to  China  for  the  first  time,  in  1853, 
when  he  was  only  twenty-one  years  of  age,  he  had  a 


132  Purpose  in  Prayer 

definite  answer  to  prayer  that  was  a  great  encourage- 
ment to  his  faith.  "  They  had  just  come  through 
the  Dam  pier  Strait,  but  were  not  yet  out  of  sight 
of  the  islands,  Usually  a  breeze  would  spring  up 
after  sunset  and  last  until  about  dawn.  The  utmost 
use  was  made  of  it,  but  during  the  day  they  lay 
still  with  flapping  sails,  often  drifting  back  and 
losing  a  good  deal  of  the  advantage  gained  at  night." 
The  story  continues  in  Hudson  Taylor's  own  words  : 

"  This  happened  notabl}^  on  one  occasion  when 
we  were  in  dangerous  proximity  to  the  north  of 
New  Guinea.  Saturday  night  had  brought  us  to 
a  point  some  thirty  miles  off  the  land,  and  during 
the  Sunday  morning  service,  which  was  held  on 
deck,  I  could  not  fail  to  see  that  the  Captain  looked 
troubled  and  frequently  went  over  to  the  side  of 
the  ship.  When  the  service  was  ended  I  learnt 
from  him  the  cause.  A  four-knot  current  was 
carr5dng  us  toward  some  sunken  reefs,  and  we  were 
already  so  near  that  it  seemed  improbable  that  we 
should  get  through  the  afternoon  in  safety.  After 
dinner,  the  long  boat  was  put  out  and  all  hands 
endeavoured,  without  success,  to  turn  the  ship's 
head  from  the  shore. 

"  After  standing  together  on  the  deck  for  some 
time  in  silence,  the  Captain  said  to  me  : 

"  '  Well,  we  have  done  everything  that  can  be 
done.    We  can  only  await  the  result.' 

"  A  thought  occurred  to  me,  and  I  replied  :  '  No, 
there  is  one  thing  we  have  not  done  yet.' 


Purpose  in  Prayer  133 

"  '  What  is  that  ?  '  he  queried. 

"  '  Four  of  us  on  board  are  Christians.  Let  us 
each  retire  to  his  own  cabin,  and  in  agreed  prayer 
ask  the  Lord  to  give  us  immediately  a  breeze.  He 
can  as  easily  send  it  now  as  at  sunset.' 

"  The  Captain  complied  with  this  proposal.  I 
went  and  spoke  to  the  other  two  men,  and  after 
prayer  with  the  carpenter,  we  all  four  retired  to 
wait  upon  God.  I  had  a  good  but  very  brief  season 
in  prayer,  and  then  felt  so  satisfied  that  our  request 
was  granted  that  I  could  not  continue  asking,  and 
very  soon  went  up  again  on  deck.  The  first  officer, 
a  godless  man,  was  in  charge.  I  went  over  and 
asked  him  to  let  down  the  clews  or  corners  of  the 
mainsail,  which  had  been  drawn  up  in  order  to  lessen 
the  useless  flapping  of  the  sail  against  the  rigging. 

"  *  What  would  be  the  good  of  that  ?  '  he 
answered  roughly. 

"  I  told  him  we  had  been  asking  a  wind  from 
God ;  that  it  was  coming  immediately ;  and  we 
were  so  near  the  reef  by  this  time  that  there  was 
not  a  minute  to  lose. 

"  With  an  oath  and  a  look  of  contempt,  he  said 
he  would  rather  see  a  wind  than  hear  of  it. 

"  But  while  he  was  speaking  I  watched  his  eye, 
following  it  up  to  the  royal,  and  there,  sure  enough, 
the  corner  of  the  topmost  sail  was  beginning  to 
tremble  in  the  breeze. 

"  '  Don't  you  see  the  wind  is  coming  ?  Look  at 
the  royal  !  '  I  exclaimed. 


134  Purpose  in  Prayer 

"  *  No,  it  is  only  a  cat's  paw/  he  rejoined  (a  mere 
puff  of  wind). 

"  *  Cat's  paw  or  not,'  I  cried,  *  pray  let  down  the 
mainsail  and  give  us  the  benefit.' 

"  This  he  was  not  slow  to  do.  In  another  minute 
the  heavy  tread  of  the  men  on  deck  brought  up 
the  Captain  from  his  cabin  to  see  what  was  the 
matter.  The  breeze  had  indeed  come  !  In  a  few 
minutes  we  were  ploughing  our  way  at  six  or  seven 
knots  an  hour  through  the  water  .  .  .  and  though 
the  wind  was  sometimes  unsteady,  we  did  not 
altogether  lose  it  until  after  passing  the  Pelew 
Islands. 

"  Thus  God  encouraged  me,"  adds  this  praying 
saint,  "  ere  landing  on  China's  shores  to  bring 
every  variety  of  need  to  Him  in  prayer,  and  to 
expect  that  He  would  honour  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  and  give  the  help  each  emergency 
required." 

In  an  address  at  Cambridge  some  time  ago 
(reported  in  "  The  Life  of  Faith,"  April  3rd,  1912), 
Mr.  S.  D.  Gordon  told  in  his  own  inimitable  way 
the  story  of  a  man  in  his  own  country,  to  illustrate 
from  real  life  the  fact  of  the  reality  of  prayer,  and 
that  it  is  not  mere  talking. 

*'  This  man,"  said  Mr.  Gordon,  "  came  of  an  old 
New  England  family,  a  bit  farther  back  an  English 
family.  He  was  a  giant  in  size,  and  a  keen  man 
mentally,  and  a  university-trained  man.  He  had 
gone  out  West  to  Hve,  and  represented  a  prominent 


Purpose  in  Prayer  135 

district  in  our  House  of  Congress,  answering  to 
your  House  of  Commons.  He  was  a  prominent 
leader  there.  He  was  reared  in  a  Christian  family, 
but  he  was  a  sceptic,  and  used  to  lecture  against 
Christianity.  He  told  me  he  was  fond,  in  his 
lectures,  of  proving,  as  he  thought,  conclusively, 
that  there  was  no  God.  That  was  the  type  of  his 
infidehty. 

"  One  day  he  told  me  he  was  sitting  in  the  Lower 
House  of  Congress.  It  was  at  the  time  of  a 
Presidential  Election,  and  when^  party  feeling  ran 
high.  One  would  have  thought  that  was  the  last 
place  where  a  man  would  be  likely  to  think  about 
spiritual  things.  He  said :  *  I  was  sitting  in  my 
seat  in  that  crowded  House  and  that  heated  atmos- 
phere, when  a  feeling  came  to  me  that  the  God, 
whose  existence  I  thought  I  could  successfully 
disprove,  was  just  there  above  me,  looking  down 
on  me,  and  that  He  was  displeased  with  me,  and 
with  the  way  I  was  doing.  I  said  to  myself,  '  This 
is  ridiculous,  I  guess  I've  been  working  too  hard. 
I'll  go  and  get  a  good  meal  and  take  a  long  walk 
and  shake  myself,  and  see  if  that  will  take  this 
feeling  away.'  He  got  his  extra  meal,  took  a 
walk,  and  came  back  to  his  seat,  but  the  impression 
would  not  be  shaken  off  that  God  was  there  and 
was  displeased  with  him.  He  went  for  a  walk, 
day  after  day,  but  could  never  shake  the  feeling 
off.  Then  he  went  back  to  his  constituency  in 
his  State,  he  said,  to  arrange  matters  there.     He 


136  Purpose  in  Prayer 

had  the  ambition  to  be  the  Governor  of  his  State, 
and  his  party  was  the  dominant  party  in  the  State, 
and,  as  far  as  such  things  could  be  judged,  he 
was  in  the  hne  to  become  Governor  there,  in  one 
of  the  most  dominant  States  of  our  Central  West. 
He  said  :  '  I  went  home  to  fix  that  thing  up  as 
far  as  I  could,  and  to  get  ready  for  it.  But  I  had 
hardly  reached  home  and  exchanged  greetings, 
when  my  wife,  who  was  an  earnest  Christian  woman, 
said  to  me  that  a  few  of  them  had  made  a  little 
covenant  of  prayer  that  I  might  become  a  Christian.' 
He  did  not  want  her  to  know  the  experience  that  he 
had  just  been  going  through,  and  so  he  said  as 
carelessly  as  he  could,  '  When  did  this  thing  begin, 
this  praying  of  yours  ?  '  She  named  the  date. 
Then  he  did  some  very  quick  thinking,  and  he 
knew,  as  he  thought  back,  that  it  was  the  day  on 
the  calendar  when  that  strange  impression  came 
to  him  for  the  first  time. 

"  He  said  to  me  :  'I  was  tremendously  shaken. 
I  wanted  to  be  honest.  I  was  perfectly  honest 
in  not  believing  in  God,  and  I  thought  I  was  right. 
But  if  what  she  said  was  true,  then  merely  as  a 
lawyer  sifting  his  evidence  in  a  case,  it  would  be 
good  evidence  that  there  was  really  something  in 
their  prayer.  I  was  terrifically  shaken,  and  wanted 
to  be  honest,  and  did  not  know  what  to  do.  That 
same  night  I  went  to  a  little  Methodist  chapel, 
and  if  somebody  had  knowTi  how  to  talk  with  me, 
I  think  I  should  have  accepted  Christ  that  niglit.' 


Purpose  in  Prayer  137 

Then  he  said  that  the  next  night  he  went  back 
again  to  that  chapel,  where  meetings  were  being 
held  each  night,  and  there  he  kneeled  at  the  altar, 
and  yielded  his  great  strong  will  to  the  will  of  God. 
Then  he  said,  *  I  knew  I  was  to  preach,'  and  he 
is   preaching   still   in   a   Western    State.     That   is 
half  of  the  story.     I  also  talked    with  his  wife — 
I  wanted  to  put  the  two  halves  together,  so  as 
to  get  the  bit  of  teaching  in  it  ail — and  she  told 
me  this.    She  had  been  a  Christian — ^what  you  call 
a  nominal  Christian — a  strange  confusion  of  terms. 
Then  there  came  a  time  when  she  was  led  into  a 
full  surrender  of  her  life  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Then  she  said,  '  At  once  there  came  a  great  intensi- 
fying of  desire  that  my  husband  might  be  a  Christian, 
and  we  made  that  little  compact  to  pray  for  him 
each  day  until  he  became  a  Christian.    That  night 
I  Was  kneehng  at  my  bedside  before  going  to  rest, 
praying  for  my  husband,  praying  very  earnestly 
and  then  a  voice  said  to  me,   '  Are    you  willing 
for  the  results  that  will  come  if  your  husband  is 
converted  ?  *      The    little    message   was    so    very 
distinct   that   she   said   she   was   frightened ;     she 
had  never  had  such  an  experience.     But  she  went 
on  praying  still  more  earnestly,  and  again  there 
came   the  quiet   voice,    '  Are   you  willing  for  the 
consequences  ?  '     And  again  there  was  a  sense  of 
being  startled,  frightened.     But  she  still  went  on 
praying,  and  wondering  what  this  meant,  and  a 
third  time  the  quiet  voice  came  more  quietly  than 


138  Purpose  in  Prayer 

ever  as  she  described  it,  *  Are  you  willing  for  the 
consequences  ?  ' 

"  Then  she  told  me  she  said  with  great  earnestness, 
'  O  God,  I  am  willing  for  anything  Thou  dost  think 
good,  if  only  my  husband  may  know  Thee,  and 
become  a  true  Christian  man.'  She  said  that 
instantly,  when  that  prayer  came  from  her  lips, 
there  came  into  her  heart  a  wonderful  sense  of 
peace,  a  great  peace  that  she  could  not  explain, 
a  '  peace  that  passeth  understanding,'  and  from 
that  moment — it  was  the  very  night  of  the  covenant, 
the  night  when  her  husband  had  that  first  strange 
experience — the  assurance  never  left  her  that  he 
would  accept  Christ.  But  all  those  weeks  she 
prayed  with  the  firm  assurance  that  the  result 
was  coming.  What  were  the  consequences  ?  They 
were  of  a  kind  that  I  think  no  one  would  think 
small.  She  was  the  wife  of  a  man  in  a  very 
prominent  political  position  ;  she  was  the  wife  of 
a  man  who  was  in  the  line  of  becoming  the  first 
official  of  his  State,  and  she  officially  the  first  lady 
socially  of  that  State,  with  all  the  honour  that 
that  social  standing  would  imply.  'Now  she  is  the 
wife  of  a  Methodist  preacher,  with  her  home  changed 
every  two  or  three  years,  she  going  from  this  place 
to  that,  a  very  different  social  position,  and  having 
a  very  different  income  than  she  would  otherwise 
have  had.  Yet  I  never  met  a  woman  who  had 
more  of  the  wonderful  peace  of  God  in  her  heart, 
and  of  the  light  of  God  in  her  face,  than  that  woman." 


^   Purpose  in  Prayer  139 

And  Mr.  Gordon's  comment  on  that  incident  is 
this :  "  Now,  you  can  see  at  once  that  there  was 
no  change  in  the  purpose  of  God  through  that 
prayer.  The  prayer  worked  out  His  purpose ; 
it  did  not  change  it.  But  the  woman's  surrender 
gave  the  opportunity  of  working  out  the  will  that 
God  wanted  to  work  out.  If  we  might  give  our- 
selves to  Him  and  learn  His  wall,  and  use  all  our 
strength  in  learning  His  will  and  bending  to  His 
will,  then  we  would  begin  to  pray,  and  there  is 
simply  nothing  that  could  resist  the  tremendous 
power  of  the  prayer.  Oh  for  more  men  who  will 
be  simple  enough  to  get  in  touch  with  God,  and 
give  Him  the  mastery  of  the  whole  life,  and  learn 
His  will,  and  then  give  themselves,  as  Jesus  gave 
Himself,  to  the  sacred  service  of  intercession  !  " 

To  the  man  or  woman  who  is  acquainted  with 
God  and  who  knows  how  to  pray,  there  is  nothing 
remarkable  in  the  answers  that  come.  They  are 
sure  of  being  heard,  since  they  ask  in  accordance 
with  what  they  know  to  be  the  mind  and  the 
will  of  God.  Dr.  WiUiam  Burt,  Bishop  of  Europe 
in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  tells  that  a 
few  years  ago,  when  he  visited  their  Boys'  School 
in  Vienna,  he  found  that  although  the  year  was  not 
up,  all  available  funds  had  been  spent.  He  hesitated 
to  make  a  special  appeal  to  his  friends  in  America. 
He  counselled  with  the  teachers.  They  took  the 
matter  to  God  in  earnest  and  continued  prayer, 
believing  that  He  would  grant  their  request.     Ten 


T40  Purpose  in  Prayer 

days  later  Bishop  Burt  was  in  Rome,  and  there 
came  to  him  a  letter  from  a  friend  in  New  York, 
which  read  substantially  thus  :  "  As  I  went  to  my 
office  on  Broadway  one  morning  [and  the  date  was 
the  very  one  on  which  the  teachers  were  praying], 
a  voice  seemed  to  tell  me  that  you  were  in  need  of 
funds  for  the  Boys'  School  in  Vienna.  I  very 
gladly  enclose  a  cheque  for  the  work."  The  cheque 
was  for  the  amount  needed.  There  had  been  no 
human  communication  between  Vienna  and  New 
York.  But  while  they  were  yet  speaking  God 
answered  them. 

Some  time  ago  there  appeared  in  an  English 
Religious  weekly  the  report  of  an  incident  narrated 
by  a  well-known  preacher  in  the  course  of  an  address 
to  children.  For  the  truth  of  the  story  he  was 
able  to  vouch.  A  child  lay  sick  in  a  country  cottage, 
and  her  younger  sister  heard  the  doctor  say,  as  he 
left  the  house,  "  Nothing  but  a  miracle  can  save 
her."  The  little  girl  went  to  her  monej^-box,  took 
out  the  few  coins  it  contained,  and  in  perfect 
simplicity  of  heart  went  to  shop  after  shop  in  the 
village  street,  asking,  "  Please,  I  want  to  buy  a 
miracle."  From  each  she  came  away  disappointed. 
Even  the  local  chemist  had  to  say,  "  My  dear,  we 
don't  sell  miracles  here."  But  outside  his  door 
two  men  were  talking,  and  had  overheard  the 
child's  request.  One  was  a  great  doctor  from  a 
London  hospital,  and  he  asked  her  to  explain  what 
she   wanted.     When   he  understood   the   need,   he 


Purpose  in  Prayer  141 

hurried  with  her  to  the  cottage,  examined  the  sick 
giri,  and  said  to  the  mother  :  "It  is  true — only  a 
miracle  can  save  her,  and  it  must  be  performed 
at  once."  He  got  his  instruments,  performed  the 
operation,  and  the  patient's  life  was  saved. 

D.  L.  Moody  gives  this  illustration  of  the  power 
of  prayer :  "  While  in  Edinburgh,  a  man  was 
pointed  out  to  me  by  a  friend,  who  said  :  '  That 
man  is  chairman  of  the  Edinburgh  Infidel  Club  ' 
I  went  and  sat  beside  him  and  said,  *  My  friend, 
I  am  glad  to'  see  you  in  our  meeting.  Are  you 
concerned  about  your  welfare  ?  ' 

"  '  I  do  not  beheve  in  any  hereafter.' 

"  '  Well,  just  get  down  on  your  knees  and  let  me 
pray  for  you.' 

"  '  No,  I  do  not  believe  in  prayer.' 

"  I  knelt  beside  him  as  he  sat,  and  prayed.  He 
made  a  great  deal  of  sport  of  it.  A  year  after 
I  met  him  again.  I  took  him  by  the  hand  and 
said  :   '  Hasn't  God  answered  my  prayer  yet  ?  ' 

"  '  There  is  no  God.  If  you  beheve  in  one  who 
answers  prayer,  try  your  hand  on  me.' 

"  '  Well,  a  great  many  are  now  praying  for  you, 
and  God's  time  will  come,  and  I  beheve  you  will 
be  saved  yet.* 

*'  Some  time  afterwards  I  got  a  letter  from  a 
leading  barrister  in  Edinburgh  telling  me  that  my 
infidel  friend  had  come  to  Christ,  and  that  seventeen 
of  his  club  men  had  followed  his  example. 

"  I  did  not  know  how  God  would  answer  prayer, 


142  Purpose  in  Prayer 

but  I  knew  He  would  answer.  Let  us  come  boldy 
to  God." 

Robert  Louis  Stevenson  tells  a  vivid  story  of  a 
storm  at  sea.  The  passengers  below  were  greatly 
alarmed,  as  the  waves  dashed  over  the  vessel. 
At  last  one  of  them,  against  orders,  crept  to  the 
deck,  and  came  to  the  pilot,  who  was  lashed  to  the 
wheel  which  he  was  turning  without  flinching.  The 
pilot  caught  sight  of  the  terror-stricken  man,  and 
gave  him  a  reassuring  smile.  Below  went  the 
passenger,  and  comforted  the  others  by  saying, 
"  I  have  seen  the  face  of  the  pilot,  and  he  smiled. 
All  is  well." 

That  is  how  we  feel  when  through  the  gateway  of 
prayer  we  find  our  way  into  the  Father's  presence. 
We  see  His  face,  and  we  know  that  all  is  well, 
since  His  hand  is  on  the  helm  of  events,  and  "  even 
the  winds  and  the  waves  obey  Him."  When  we 
live  in  fellowship  with  Him,  we  come  with  confidence 
into  His  presence,  asking  in  the  full  confidence  of 
receiving  and  meeting  with  the  justification  of  our 
faith. 


Let  your  hearts  be  much  set  on  revivals  of  religion.  Never 
forget  that  the  churches  have  hitherto  existed  and  prospered 
by  revivals  ;  and  thai  if  they  are  to  exist  and  prosper  in  time 
to  come,  it  must  be  by  the  same  cause  which  has  from  the  first  been 
their  glory  and  defence. — Joel  Hawes. 

//  any  minister  can  be  satisfied  without  conversions^  he 
shall  have  no  conversions. — C.  H.  Spurgeon. 


/  do  not  believe  that  my  desires  for  a  revival  were  ever 
half  so  strong  as  they  ought  to  be  ;  nor  do  I  see  how  a 
minister  can  help  being  in  a  "  constant  fever "  when  his 
Master  is  dishonoured  and  souls  are  destroyed  in  so  many 
ways. — Edward  Payson, 

An  aged  saint  once  came  to  the  pastor  at  night  and  said  : 
"  We  are  about  to  have  a  revival."  He  was  asked  why  he 
knew  so.  His  answer  was,  "  /  went  into  the  stable  to  take 
care  of  my  cattle  two  hours  ago,  and  there  the  Lord  has  kept 
me  in  prayer  until  just  now.  And  I  feel  that  we  are  going 
to  be  revived.''     It  was  the  commencement  of  a  revival. 

— H.  C.  Fish. 


XII 

It  has  been  said  that  the  history  of  revivals  is 
the  history  of  rehgion,  and  no  one  can  study  their 
history  without  being  impressed  with  their  mighty 
influence  upon  the  destiny  of  the  race.  To  look 
back  over  the  progress  of  the  Divine  Kingdom 
upon  earth  is  to  review  revival  periods  which 
have  come  like  refreshing  showers  upon  dry  and 
thirsty  ground,  making  the  desert  to  blossom 
as  the  rose,  and  bringing  new  eras  of  spiritual  hfe 
and  activity  just  when  the  Church  had  fallen  under 
the  influence  of  the  apathy  of  the  times,  and  needed 
to  be  aroused  to  a  new  sense  of  her  duty  and  responsi- 
bility. "  From  one  point  of  view,  and  that  not 
the  least  important,"  writes  Principal  Lindsay,  in 
"  The  Church  and  the  Ministry  in  the  Early 
Centuries,"  "  the  history  of  the  Church  flows  on 
from  one  time  of  revival  to  another,  and  whether 
we  take  the  awakenings  in  the  old  Catholic,  the 
mediaeval,  or  the  modern  Church,  these  have  always 
been  the  work  of  men  specially  gifted  with  the 
power  of  seeing  and  declaring  the  secrets  of  the 
deepest  Christian  life,  and  the  effect  of  their  work 
has  always  been  proportionate  to  the  spiritual 
receptivity  of  the  generation  they  have  spoken  to." 
10  145 


146  Purpose  in  Prayer 

As  God,  from  the  beginning,  has  wrought 
prominently  through  revivals,  there  can  be  no 
denial  of  the  fact  that  revivals  are  a  part  of  the 
Divine  plan.  The  Kingdom  of  our  Lord  has  been 
advanced  in  large  measure  by  special  seasons  of 
gracious  and  rapid  accomplishment  of  the  work  of 
conversion,  and  it  may  be  inferred,  therefore, 
that  the  means  through  which  God  has  worked  in 
other  times  will  be  employed  in  our  time  to  produce 
similar  results.  "  The  quiet  conversion  of  one 
sinner  after  another,  under  the  ordinary  ministry 
of  the  Gospel,"  says  one  writer  on  the  subject, 
"  must  always  be  regarded  with  feelings  of  satis- 
faction and  gratitude  by  the  ministers  and  disciples 
of  Christ ;  but  a  periodical  manifestation  of  the 
simultaneous  conversion  of  thousands  is  also  to 
be  desired,  because  of  its  adaptation  to  afford  a 
visible  and  impressive  demonstration  that  God 
has  made  that  same  Jesus,  Who  was  rejected  and 
crucified,  both  Lord  and  Christ ;  and  that,  in 
virtue  of  His  Divine  Mediatorship,  He  has 
assumed  the  royal  sceptre  of  universal  supremacy, 
and  '  must  reign  till  all  His  enemies  be  made  His 
footstool.'  It  is,  therefore,  reasonable  to  expect 
that,  from  time  to  time,  He  will  repeat  that  which 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost  formed  the  conclusive 
and  crowning  evidence  of  His  Messiahship  and 
Sovereignty ;  and,  by  so  doing,  startle  the 
slumbering  souls  of  careless  worldlings,  gain  the 
attentive  ear  of  the  unconverted,  and,  in  a  remark- 


Purpose  in  Prayer  147 

able  way,  break  in  upon  those  brilliant  dreams 
of  earthly  glory,  grandeur,  wealth,  power  and 
happiness,  which  the  rebellious  and  God-forgetting 
multitude  so  fondly  cherish.  Such  an  outpouring 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  forms  at  once  a  demonstrative 
proof  of  the  completeness  and  acceptance  of  His 
once  offering  of  Himself  as  a  sacrifice  for  sin,  and  a 
prophetic  '  earnest  '  of  the  certainty  that  He  '  shall 
appear  the  second  time  without  sin  unto  salvation,' 
to  judge  the  w^orld  in  righteousness." 

And  that  revivals  are  to  be  expected,  proceeding, 
as  they  do,  from  the  right  use  of  the  appropriate 
means,  is  a  fact  which  needs  not  a  little  emphasis 
in  these  days,  when  the  material  is  exalted  at  the 
expense  of  the  spiritual,  and  when  ethical  standards 
are  supposed  to  be  supreme.  That  a  revival  is 
not  a  miracle  was  powerfully  taught  by  Charles  G. 
Finney.  There  might,  he  said,  be  a  miracle  among 
its  antecedent  causes,  or  there  might  not.  The 
Apostles  employed  miracles  simply  as  a  means  by 
which  they  arrested  attention  to  their  message, 
and  established  its  Divine  authority.  "  But  the 
miracle  was  not  the  revival.  The  miracle  was  one 
thing ;  the  revival  that  followed  it  was  quite 
another  thing.  The  revivals  in  the  Apostles'  days 
were  connected  with  miracles,  but  they  were  not 
miracles."  All  revivals  are  dependent  upon  God, 
but  in  revivals,  as  in  other  things,  He  invites  and 
requires  the  assistance  of  man,  and  the  full  result 
is   obtained   when   there   is   co-operation   between 


148  Purpose  in  Prayer 

the  Divine  and  the  human.  In  other  words,  to 
employ  a  famiUar  phrase,  God  alone  can  save  the 
world,  but  God  cannot  save  the  world  alone.  God 
and  man  unite  for  the  task,  the  response  of  the 
Divine  being  invariably  in  proportion  to  the  desire 
and  the  effort  of  the  human. 

This  co-operation,  then,  being  necessary,  what  is 
the  duty  which  we,  as  co-workers  with  God,  require 
to  undertake  ?  First  of  all,  and  most  important 
of  all — the  point  which  we  desire  particularly  to 
emphasise — we  must  give  ourselves  to  prayer. 
"  Revivals,"  as  Dr.  J.  Wilbur  Chapman  reminds  us, 
"  are  born  in  prayer.  When  Wesley  prayed 
England  was  revived  ;  when  Knox  prayed,  Scotland 
was  refreshed  ;  when  the  Sunday  School  teachers 
of  Tannybrook  prayed,  11,000  young  people  were 
added  to  the  Church  in  a  year.  Whole  nights  of 
prayer  have  always  been  succeeded  by  whole  days 
of  soul-winning." 

When  D.  L.  Moody's  Church  in  Chicago  lay  in 
ashes,  he  went  over  to  England,  in  1872,  not  to 
preach,  but  to  listen  to  others  preach  while  his 
new  church  was  being  built.  One  Sunday  morning 
he  was  prevailed  upon  to  preach  in  a  London 
pulpit.  But  somehow  the  spiritual  atmosphere 
was  lacking.  He  confessed  afterwards  that  he 
never  had  such  a  hard  time  preaching  in  his  life. 
Everything  was  perfectly  dead,  and,  as  he  vainly 
tried  to  preach,  he  said  to  himself,  "  What  a  fool 
I  was  to  consent  to  preach  !     I  came  here  to  hsten, 


Purpose  in  Prayer  149 

and  here  I  am  preaching."  Then  the  awful  thought 
came  to  him  that  he  had  to  preach  again  at  night, 
and  only  the  fact  that  he  had  given  the  promise  to 
do  so  kept  him  faithful  to  the  engagement.  But 
when  Mr.  Moody  entered  the  pulpit  at  night,  ahd 
faced  the  crowded  congregation,  he  was  conscious 
of  a  new  atmosphere.  "  The  powers  of  an  unseen 
world  seemed  to  have  fallen  upon  the  audience/' 
As  he  drew  towards  the  close  of  his  sermon  he 
became  emboldened  to  give  out  an  invitation,  and 
as  he  concluded  he  said,  "  If  there  is  a  man  or 
woman  here  who  will  to-night  accept  Jesus  Christ, 
please  stand  up."  At  once  about  500  people  rose 
to  their  feet.  Thinking  that  there  must  be  some 
mistake,  he  asked  the  people  to  be  seated,  and  then,  in 
order  that  there  might  be  no  possible  misunderstand- 
ing, he  repeated  the  invitation,  couching  it  in  even 
more  definite  and  difficult  terms.  Again  the  same 
number  rose.  Still  thinking  that  something  must 
be  wrong,  Mr.  Moody,  for  the  second  time,  asked 
the  standing  men  and  women  to  be  seated,  and 
then  he  invited  all  who  really  meant  to  accept 
Christ  to  pass  into  the  vestry.  Fully  500  people 
did  as  requested,  and  that  was  the  beginning  of  a 
revival  in  that  church  and  neighbourhood,  which 
brought  Mr.  Moody  back  from  Dubhn,  a  few  days 
later,  that  he  might  assist  the  wonderful  work  of 
God. 

The    sequel,    however,    must    be    given,    or    our 
purpose  in  relating  the  incident  will  be  defeated. 


i5<>  Pfrpose  in  Prayer 

When  Mr.  Moody  preached  at  the  morning  service 
there  was  a  woman  in  the  congregation  who  had  an 
invahd  sister.  On  her  return  home  she  told  the 
invahd  that  the  preacher  had  been  a  Mr.  Moody 
from  Chicago,  and  on  hearing  this  she  turned  pale. 
"  What,"  she  said,  "  Mr.  Moody  from  Chicago ! 
I  read  about  him  some  time  ago  in  an  American 
paper,  and  I  have  been  praying  God  to  send  him 
to  London,  and  to  our  church.  If  I  had  known 
he  was  going  to  preach  this  morning  I  would  have 
eaten  no  breakfast.  I  would  have  spent  the  whole 
time  in  prayer.  Now,  sister,  go  out  of  the  room, 
lock  the  door,  send  me  no  dinner  ;  no  matter  who 
comes,  don't  let  them  see  me.  I  am  going  to 
spend  the  whole  afternoon  and  evening  in  prayer." 
And  so  while  Mr.  Moody  stood  in  the  pulpit  that  had 
been  like  an  ice-chamber  in  the  morning,  the  bed- 
ridden saint  was  holding  him  up  before  God,  and 
God,  who  ever  delights  to  answer  prayer,  poured 
out  His  Spirit  in  mighty  power. 

The  God  of  revivals  who  answered  the  prayer  of 
His  child  for  Mr.  Moody,  is  willing  to  hear  and  to 
answer  the  faithful,  believing  prayers  of  His  people 
to-day.  Wherever  God's  conditions  are  met  there 
the  revival  is  sure  to  fall.  Professor  Thos.  Nicholson, 
of  Cornell  College,  U.S.A.,  relates  an  experience 
on  his  first  circuit  that  impresses  anew  the  old 
lesson  of  the  place  of  prayer  in  the  work  of  God. 

There  had  not  been  a  revival  on  that  circuit  in 
years,    and    things    were    not    spiritually   hopeful. 


Purpose  in  Prayer  151 

During  more  than  four  weeks  the  pastor  had  preached 
faithfully,  visited  from  house  to  house,  in  stores, 
shops,  and  out-of-the-way  places,  and  had  done 
everything  he  could.  The  fifth  Monday  night  saw 
many  of  the  official  members  at  lodges,  but  only  a 
corporal's  guard  at  the  church. 

From  that  meeting  the  pastor  went  home,  cast 
down,  but  not  in  despair.  He  resolved  to  spend 
that  night  in  prayer.  "  Locking  the  door,  he 
took  Bible  and  hymn  book  and  began  to  inquire 
more  diligently  of  the  Lord,  though  the  meetings 
had  been  the  subject  of  hours  of  earnest  prayer. 
Only  God  knows  the  anxiety  and  the  faithful, 
prayerful  study  of  that  night.  Near  the  dawn  a 
great  peace  and  a  full  assurance  came  that  God 
would  surely  bless  the  plan  which  had  been  decided 
upon,  and  a  text  was  chosen  which  he  felt  sure  was 
of  the  Lord.  Dropping  upon  the  bed,  the  pastor 
slept  about  two  hours,  then  rose,  hastily  break- 
fasted, and  went  nine  miles  to  the  far  side  of  the 
circuit  to  visit  some  sick  people.  All  day  the 
assurance  mcreased. 

"  Toward  night  a  pouring  rain  set  in,  the  roads 
were  heavy  and  we  reached  home,  wet,  supperless, 
and  a  little  late,  only  to  find  no  fire  in  the  church, 
the  lights  unlit,  and  no  signs  of  service.  The 
janitor  had  concluded  that  the  rain  would  prevent 
the  service.  We  changed  the  order,  rang  the 
bell,  and  prepared  for  war.  Three  young  men 
formed  the  congregation,  but  in  that  *  full  assurance  ' 


152  Purpose  in  Prayer 

the  pastor,  delivered  the  message  which  had  been 
prayed  out  on  the  preceding  night,  as  earnestly 
and  as  fully  as  if  the  house  had  been  crowded, 
then  made  a  personal  appeal  to  each  young  man 
in  turn.  Two  yielded,  and  testified  before  the 
meeting  closed. 

"  The  tired  pastor  went  to  a  sweet  rest,  and  next 
morning,  rising  a  little  later  than  usual,  learned 
that  one  of  the  young  men  was  going  from  store 
to  store  throughout  the  town  telling  of  his  wonderful 
deliverance,  and  exhorting  the  people  to  salvation. 
Night  after  night  conversions  occurred,  until  in  two 
weeks  we  heard  144  people  testify  in  forty-five 
minutes.  All  three  points  of  that  circuit  saw  a  blaze 
of  revival  that  winter,  and  family  after  family  came 
into  the  church,  until  the  membership  was  more 
than  trebled. 

"  Out  of  that  meeting  one  convert  is  a  successful 
pastor  in  the  Michigan  Conference,  another  is  the 
wife  of  one  of  the  choicest  of  our  pastors,  and  a 
third  was  in  the  ministry  for  a  number  of  years, 
and  then  went  to  another  denomination,  where  he 
is  faithful  unto  this  day.  Probably  none  of  the 
members  ever  knew  of  the  pastor's  night  of  prayer, 
but  he  verily  believes  that  God  somehow  does  for 
the  man  who  thus  prays,  what  He  does  not  do  for 
the  man  who  does  not  pray,  and  he  is  certain  that 
'  more  things  are  ^^TOught  by  prayer  than  this 
world  dreams  of.'  " 

All  the  true  revivals  have  been  born  in  prayer. 


Purpose  in  Prayer  153 

When  God's  people  become  so  concerned  about 
the  state  of  religion  that  they  lie  on  their  faces 
day  and  night  in  earnest  supplication,  the  blessing 
will  be  sure  to  fall. 

It  is  the  same  all  down  the  ages.  Every  revival 
of  which  we  have  any  record  has  been  bathed  in 
prayer.  Take,  for  example,  the  wonderful  revival 
in  Shotts  (Scotland)  in  1630.  The  fact  that  several 
of  the  then  persecuted  ministers  would  take  a 
part  in  solemn  convocation  having  become  generally 
known,  a  vast  concourse  of  godly  persons  assembled 
on  this  occasion  from  all  quarters  of  the  country, 
and  several  days  were  spent  in  social  prayer, 
preparatory  to  the  service.  In  the  evening,  instead 
of  retiring  to  rest,  the  multitude  divided  themselves 
into  little  bands,  and  spent  the  whole  night  in  suppli- 
cation and  praise.  The  Monday  was  consecrated 
to  thanksgiving,  a  practice  not  then  common, 
and  proved  the  great  days  of  the  feast.  After 
much  entreaty,  John  Livingston,  chaplain  to  the 
Countess  of  Wigtown,  a  young  man  and  not  ordained, 
agreed  to  preach.  He  had  spent  the  night  in  prayer 
and  conference — but  as  the  hour  of  assembling 
approached  his  heart  quailed  at  the  thought  of 
addressing  so  many  aged  and  experienced  saints, 
and  he  actually  fled  from  the  duty  he  had  under- 
taken. But  just  as  the  kirk  of  Shotts  was  vanishing 
from  his  view,  those  words,  "  Was  I  ever  a  barren 
wilderness  or  a  land  of  darkness  ?  "  were  borne 
in  upon  his  mind  with  such  force  as  compelled  him 


154  Purpose  in  Prayer 

to  return  to  the  work.  He  took  for  his  text  Ezekiel 
xxxvi.  25,  26,  and  discoursed  with  great  power  for 
about  two  hours.  Five  hundred  conversions  were 
believed  to  have  occurred  under  that  one  sermon, 
thus  prefaced  by  prayer.  "  It  was  the  sowing  of  a 
seed  through  Clydesdale,  so  that  many  of  the  most 
eminent  Christians  of  that  country  could  date 
their  conversion,  or  some  remarkable  confirmation 
of  their  case,  from  that  day." 

Of  Richard  Baxter  it  has  been  said  that  "  he 
stained  his  study  walls  with  praying  breath  ;  and 
after  becoming  thus  anointed  with  the  unction 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  he  sent  a  river  of  living  water  over 
Kidderminster."  Whitfield  once  thus  prayed,  '*  O 
Lord,  give  me  souls  or  take  my  souL"  After  much 
closet  pleading,  "  he  once  went  to  the  Devil's  fair 
and  took  more  than  a  thousand  souls  out  of  the  paw 
of  the  lion  in  a  single  day." 

Mr.  Finney  says :  "I  once  knew  a  minister  who 
had  a  revival  fourteen  winters  in  succession.  I  did 
not  know  how  to  account  for  it  till  I  saw  one  of  his 
members  get  up  in  a  prayer  meeting  and  make  a 
confession.  '  Brethren,'  he  said,  '  I  have  been 
long  in  the  habit  of  praying  every  Saturday  night 
till  after  midnight  for  the  descent  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  among  us.  And  now,  brethren  (and  he 
began  to  weep),  I  confess  that  I  have  neglected  it 
for  two  or  three  weeks.'  The  secret  was  out.  That 
minister  had  a  praying  church." 

And  so  we  might  go  on  multiplying  illustration 


Purpose  in  Prayer  155 

upon  illustration  to  show  the  place  of  prayer  in 
revival  and  to  demonstrate  that  every  mighty 
movement  of  the  Spirit  of  God  has  had  its  source 
in  the  prayer-chamber.  The  lesson  of  it  all  is  this, 
that  as  workers  together  with  God  we  must  regard 
ourselves  as  in  not  a  httle  measure  responsible  for 
the  conditions  which  prevail  around  us  to-day. 
Are  we  concerned  about  the  coldness  of  the  Church  ? 
Do  we  grieve  over  the  lack  of  conversions  ?  Does 
our  soul  go  out  to  God  in  midnight  cries  for  the 
outpouring  of  His  Spirit  ? 

If  not,  part  of  the  blame  lies  at  our  door.  If  we 
do  our  part,  God  will  do  His.  Around  us  is  a 
world  lost  in  sin,  above  us  is  a  God  willing  and  able 
to  save  ;  it  is  ours  to  build  the  bridge  that  links 
heaven  and  earth,  and  prayer  is  the  mighty  instru- 
ment that  does  the  work. 

And  so  the  old  cry  comes  to  us  with  insistent 
voice,  "  Pray,  brethren,  pray." 


Lord  Jesus,  cause  me  to  know  in  my  daily  experience  the 
glory  and  sweetness  of  Thy  name,  and  then  teach  me  how  to 
use  it  in  my  prayer,  so  that  I  may  be  even  like  Israel,  a  prince 
prevailing  with  God.  Thy  name  is  my  passport,  and  secures 
me  access  ;  Thy  name  is  my  plea,  and  secures  me  answer  ; 
Thy  name  is  my  honour  and  secures  me  glory.  Blessed  Name, 
Thou  art  honey  in  my  mouth,  music  in  my  ear,  heaven  in  my 
heart,  and  all  in  all  to  all  my  being  ! — C.  H.  Spurgeon. 

/  do  not  mean  that  every  prayer  we  offer  is  answered 
exactly  as  we  desire  it  to  be.  Were  this  the  case,  it  would  mean 
that  we  would  be  dictating  to  God,  and  prayer  would  degenerate 
into  a  mere  system  of  begging.  Just  as  an  earthly  father  knows 
what  is  best  for  his  children's  welfare,  so  does  God  take  iiito 
consideration  the  particular  needs  of  His  human  family, 
and  meets  them  out  of  His  wonderful  storehouse.  If  our 
petitions  are  in  accordance  with  His  will,  and  if  we  seek  His 
glory  in  the  asking,  the  answers  will  come  in  ways  that  will 
astonish  us  and  fill  our  hearts  with  songs  of  thanksgiving. 
God  is  a  rich  and  bountiful  Father,  and  He  does  not  forget  His 
children,  nor  withhold  from  them  anything  which  it  would 
be  to  their  advantage  to  receive. — J.  Kennedy  Maclean. 


XIII 

The  example  of  our  Lord  in  the  matter  of  prayer 
is  one  which  His  followers  might  weU  copy.  Christ 
prayed  much  and  He  taught  much  about  prayer. 
His  life  and  His  works,  as  well  as  His  teaching,  are 
illustrations  of  the  nature  and  necessity  of  prayer. 
He  lived  and  laboured  to  answer  prayer.  But  the 
necessity  of  importunity  in  prayer  was  the 
emphasised  point  in  His  teaching  about  prayer. 
He  taught  not  only  that  men  must  pray,  but  that 
they  must  persevere  in  prayer. 

He  taught  in  command  and  precept  the  idea  of 
energy  and  earnestness  in  praying.  He  gives  to 
our  efforts  gradation  and  climax.  We  are  to  ask, 
but  to  the  asking  we  must  add  seeking,  and  seeking 
must  pass  into  the  full  force  of  effort  in  knocking. 
The  pleading  soul  must  be  aroused  to  effort  by 
God's  silence.  Denial,  instead  of  abating  or 
abashing,  must  arouse  its  latent  energies  and  kindle 
anew  its  highest  ardour. 

In  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  in  which  He  lays 
down  the  cardinal  duties  of  His  religion,  He  not 
only  gives  prominence  to  prayer  in  general  and 
secret  prayer  in  particular,  but  He  sets  apart  a 
distinct  and  different  section  to  give  weight  to 
importunate  prayer.  To  prevent  any  discourage- 
rs? 


158  Purpose  in  Prayer 

ment  in  pra5dng  He  lays  as  a  basic  principle  the 
fact  of  God's  great  fatherly  willingness  —  that 
God's  willingness  to  answer  our  prayers  exceeds 
our  willingness  to  give  good  and  necessary  things 
to  our  children,  just  as  far  as  God's  abiHty,  goodness 
and  perfection  exceed  our  infirmities  and  evil. 
As  a  further  assurance  and  stimulant  to  prayer 
Christ  gives  the  most  positive  and  iterated  assurance 
of  answer  to  prayers.  He  declares  :  "  Ask  and 
it  shall  be  given  you  ;  seek  and  ye  shall  find  ;  knock 
and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you."  And  to  make 
assurance  doubly  sure,  He  adds :  "  For  every 
one  that  asketh,  receive th ;  and  he  that  seeketh, 
findeth  ;  and  to  him  that  knocketh  it  shall  be 
opened." 

Why  does  He  unfold  to  us  the  Father's  loving 
readiness  to  answer  the  prayer  of  His  children  ? 
Why  does  He  asseverate  so  strongly  that  prayer 
will    be    answered  ?     Why    does    He    repeat    that 
positive  asseveration  six  times  ?     Why  does  Christ 
on  two  distinct  occasions  go  over. the  same  strong 
promises,    iterations,    and    reiterations    in    regard 
to  the  certainty  of  prayer  being  answered  ?     Because 
He  knew  that  there  would  be  delay  in  many  an 
answer  which  would  call  for  importunate  pressing, 
and  that  if  our  faith  did  not  have  the  stronges 
assurance   of   God's   willingness   to   answer,    dela- 
would    break    it    down.     And    that    our    spiritur 
sloth  would  come  in,  under  the  guise  of  submissioi 
and  say  it  is  not  God's  will  to  give  what  we  ask,  an 


Purpose  in  Prayer  159 

so  cease  praying  and  lose  our  case.  After  Christ 
had  put  God's  wilhngness  to  answer  prayer  in  a 
very  clear  and  strong  light,  He  then  urges  to 
importunity,  and  that  every  unanswered  prayer, 
instead  of  abating  our  pressure  should  only  increase 
intensity  and  energy.  If  asking  does  not  get,  let 
asking  pass  into  the  settled  attitude  and  spirit  of 
seeking.  If  seeking  does  not  secure  the  answer, 
let  seeking  pass  on  to  the  more  energetic  and 
clamorous  plea  of  knocking.  We  must  persevere 
till  we  get  it.  No  failure  here  if  our  faith  does  not 
break  down. 

As  our  great  example  in  prayer,  our  Lord  puts 
love  as  a  primary  condition — a  love  that  has  purified 
the  heart  from  all  the  elements  of  hate,  revenge, 
and  ill  will.  Love  is  the  supreme  condition  of 
prayer,  a  Ufe  inspired  by  love.  The  13th  chapter 
of  1st  Corinthians  is  the  law  of  prayer  as  well  as 
the  law  of  love.  The  law  of  love  is  the  law  of 
prayer,  and  to  master  this  chapter  from  the  epistle 
of  St.  Paul  is  to  learn  the  first  and  fullest  condition 
of  prayer. 

Christ  taught  us  also  to  approach  the  Father  in 
His  name.  That  is  our  passport.  It  is  in  His  name 
that  we  are  to  make  our  petitions  known.  "  Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you,  He  that  believeth  on  Me, 
the  works  that  I  do  shall  he  do  also  ;  and  greater 
works  than  these  shall  he  do  ;  because  I  go  unto  the 
Father.  And  whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  in  My  name, 
that  will  I  do,  that  the  Father  may  be  glorified 


i6o  Purpose  in  Prayer 

in  the  Son.  If  ye  shall  ask  Me  anything  in  My 
name,  that  will  I  do." 

How  wide  and  comprehensive  is  that  "  whatso- 
ever." There  is  no  limit  to  the  power  of  that 
name.  "  Whatsoever  ye  shall  ask."  That  is  the 
Divine  declaration,  and  it  opens  up  to  every  praying 
child  a  vista  of  infinite  resource  and  possibility. 

And  that  is  our  heritage.  All  that  Christ  has 
may  become  ours  if  we  obey  the  conditions.  The 
one  secret  is  prayer.  The  place  of  revealing  and  of 
equipment,  of  grace  and  of  power,  is  the  prayer- 
chamber,  and  as  we  meet  there  with  God  we  shall 
not  only  win  our  triumphs  but  we  shall  also  grow 
in  the  likeness  of  our  Lord  and  become  His  livhig 
witnesses  to  men. 

Without  prayer  the  Christian  life,  robbed  of  its 
sweetness  and  its  beauty,  becomes  cold  and  formal 
and  dead  ;  but  rooted  in  the  secret  place  where 
God  meets  and  walks  and  talks  with  His  own,  it 
grows  into  such  a  testimony  of  Divine  power  that 
all  men  will  feel  its  influence  and  be  touched  by 
the  warmth  of  its  love.  Thus,  resembUng  our  Lord 
and  Master,  we  shall  be  used  for  the  glory  of  God 
and  the  salvation  of  our  fellow  men. 

And  that,  surely,  is  the  purpose  of  all  real  prayer 
and  the  end  of  all  true  service. 


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